


Fall Into Me

by malawi



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Dom/sub, M/M, Safewords, Spanking, Wax
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-20
Updated: 2011-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-27 15:12:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 80,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/297202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malawi/pseuds/malawi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The thing about life was, you never knew when a Rick Sorkin was going to walk in with a briefcase full of illicit drugs and take you by surprise for what would feel like the first time in fifteen years.</p><p>Mike was drawn to Harvey right from the start. Harvey brought out something in him that he'd never even known he'd wanted or needed. And together with Harvey, Mike explores his submission and what it means to give it to the one person in his life who knows what to do with it. It's a long and complicated road for both of them, but they make each other better in the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fall Into Me

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [suitsbigbang](http://suitsbigbang.livejournal.com), to read further notes check out the [master post](http://allourthings.livejournal.com/6842.html) on livejournal. Check out the [art](http://users.livejournal.com/acquiescence_/160054.html) and [fan mix](http://zellersee.livejournal.com/21575.html) as well.

The thing about life was, you never knew when a Rick Sorkin was going to walk in with a briefcase full of illicit drugs and take you by surprise for what would feel like the first time in fifteen years.

Talking to the best of the best of Harvard school graduates was something Harvey would rather just leave to Donna completely. She'd know who to choose and it would save him from sitting back in his chair and wondering why no one had even a tiny bit of individuality about them anymore. At least the coffee was good, that was about all that could be said for the day.

But just when he'd totally lost hope on ever actually finding someone who he could tolerate long enough to make it through an entire interview Donna gave him the wink and it was impossible not to be surprised, after all the morons he'd had to live through already, just the mere possibility that there could be someone worth his time was a relief. Sure the kid was late, but if Donna had forgiven him for that there had to be a decent reason why.

It all added up, bits and pieces most ordinary people might have missed. But Mike had always been good with things other people couldn't seem to do as easily. Though this was the first time he'd used his memory to dodge the cops.

He was going to kill Trevor when this was all said and done.

Mike knew the risks, he'd pulled them from his mind and thrown them back at Trevor to make his point, but desperation did crazy things to a man, made him take risks he might never have otherwise. Lead him to running through hotel hallways and into a room full of Harvard graduates, and somehow, miraculously into an interview, posing as a Rick Sorkin. Mike's heart was still racing when he followed Harvey Specter into the room, still not sure how he managed to really escape the cops. And yet there he was, looking like he might actually get away with it before his briefcase bursts open exposing him.

"Ah - I can explain that." Though really there was no need for an explanation, really all those bags of pot really spoke for themselves.

Harvey's eyebrows practically vanished into his hair as he looked over the collection of weed now spread over the rug and then the boy who could apparently explain why he was dealing drugs while applying to work at law firms.

"Of course you can. Pick it up," Harvey said, his voice cold as he slid his hands into his pockets.

Mike was extremely aware of just the sort of position in which he had currently found himself. It was one thing to have evaded the police this far, but Mr. Specter could very well call them in there for this. So rather than launch right into his explanation Mike dropped to his knees and shoving the bags of pot back inside the briefcase and closing it all up again hiding it from view.

"I did try to explain to your secretary out there. I really was just trying to ditch the cops." It wasn't his fault she seemed to take his honest answer for some sort of witty response. Mike got to his feet, briefcase clutched tight in his hand there against his side like he was deciding whether or not bolting would be the better option at this point. "You're not gonna call them back in here are you?" He asked, biting his lip and giving the man what he hoped was a look that said please do anything _but_ that.

Harvey hadn't been expecting the boy to just drop to his knees like that and he stepped back as he quickly shoved his stash back into the briefcase. He kind of looked like a puppy, standing there with wide scared eyes and Harvey didn't think he'd ever seen eyes that blue before. He had no idea what kind of person came to an interview to avoid the police but clearly he had an example of that in front of him.

As much as Harvey believed in the law and all of that, he was also bored and curious. "Maybe," he confessed as he leaned back against the desk. "Or you could tell me what happened, by the time you're finished they might be gone." Harvey tried to tell himself it was just a distraction from the interviews and not because of those eyes, but really he wasn't so sure.

Mike breathed out something like relief when instead of simply tossing him out the door Harvey asked for the explanation that Mike had promised at the start. Still clutching the briefcase close Mike nodded and sat like he'd been asked to before the drugs had given him away.

"I needed the money." It was a terribly cliché thing to say and yet it was the truth. "My friend has been after me to help him out with this for a while. I was just supposed to make a drop, hand off this suitcase for another one. And I'd get a cut of it when it was all said and done." Mike told him, he shook his head he still didn't know how he'd let himself get roped into this - he'd spent so many years saying no to Trevor only to end up here, he'd always been able to come up with the money to keep Grammy taken care of. He'd just never had to get his hands on twenty-five thousand dollars all at once before.

"It didn't quite work out like that," Obviously, Mike was feeling more than a little stupid sitting there trying to actually explain his actions - because they may have made sense at the time, but saying them aloud, trying to justify them just didn't work. And Mike had known that even as he'd accepted Trevor's offer, but he'd felt trapped between a rock and a hard place.

Lifting his sleeve Harvey checked the time, making sure that he had time to continue this little chat. "Have you got a habit?" Harvey asked as he examined the boy closely. It would be a shame if he was a junkie or had some kind of gambling problem but it was a surefire way to stop him giving a shit about his situation. "And what's your real name, I assume it isn't Rick."

Harvey stayed leaning against the desk, looking down at the kid. Now that Harvey really looked at him it was clear he wasn't like any of the other applicants and he should have noticed earlier.

"No, no - no I don't." Mike shook his head in a hurry, "I mean - I smoke, sometimes - not all the time, just with my friend sometimes." He told him. On the really good days, and on the really bad ones - but Mike didn't spend all his time high. Not like some people did, he needed to be able to think clearly most of the time if he was going to be able to take care of Grammy.

He did suppose he hadn't tried very hard to convince Mr. Specter's secretary that he was only trying to get away from the police, if he hadn't corrected her about his name. "Mike, Mike Ross, Michael." Nerves and fear made it hard for him to keep his answers short and simple, maybe the longer he was able to just talk the easier it would get, but Mike was still convinced he was going to be kicked out at any second and into the waiting arms of the police.

Harvey couldn't believe what a good kid he seemed to be, occasional pot smoking aside and good kids shouldn't have been walking around with briefcases full of enough pot to put them away for a very long time.

"Mike Ross," he repeated, giving a sigh as he looked down at him. Pushing off the desk he walked around to take his seat, looking across at the boy. "What are you doing almost getting yourself arrested? Tell me what happened, from the start." Harvey said as he leaned back in his chair. He was intrigued by more than just the blue eyes and he figured he'd earned a break with all the crap he'd had to listen to already that day.

From the start, that would require a very long explanation, Mike thought. "It's my gran," Mike told him, "I needed twenty-five thousand dollars to keep her out of a state-facility. She's all I have in the world; I couldn't let that happen to her." Mike couldn't quite look at Mr. Specter while he spoke about his Grammy and what had lead him up to this.

"I was nervous about all of this from the start, I mean I've read _Freakonomics_ , but I –" He sighed, pushing a hand through his hair, "I noticed a few things on my way in, little details I guess." Mike shrugged. "Like the pool being closed and the room number for your interviews." And Mike launched into the tale of how he'd gone upstairs and found two men loitering in the hall, the small details he'd noticed about the pair of them the lack of gloves, the gun. "So I just asked them simple questions, I asked the bellhop about the pool - and he didn't know that it was closed, and I asked the other guy for the time." Mike shrugged, it had been simple enough at the time, fitting right into that story he'd read all those years ago.

"Once I saw the gun though I was pretty convinced, and I started running when I made it to the stairwell." Which eventually had lead him first to the interview waiting room and then right where he sat then explaining himself to the man who very likely held Mike's future in his hands.

Harvey was blown away by Mike's story, but the more he spoke the more impressed he became and he felt the shift between what had been a chance meeting with a drug dealer to what became a real interview. Mike managed to leave Harvey speechless with how much information he seemed to just know and Harvey felt like he'd found what he'd been looking for coming in to this.

Another him.

Or maybe even a 2.0.

Mike should have just gone to law school; he was wasted on the life he was living now. Though when Harvey learned why he'd been thrown out of college and how he'd been trying to get back ever since he could feel how genuine the kid was and it was that which was really winning him over.

But it was too risky and Harvey had been willing to walk away, even if he'd have liked to hire Mike it just wasn't worth the risk. But as he stared out over the room of remaining applicants it struck him that he didn't want any of them, not when he'd already found more than he'd imagined he would in this chance meeting with a would be drug dealer.

The longer he went on talking, when it stopped being just an explanation and instead became what felt like an interview, Mike thought maybe, just maybe he could actually have this life he'd always wanted, he could have this thing he was so sure had been taken from him after one stupid mistake. It was too much to hope for though, Mike knew that, but he made his case, tried to prove why he could do this job and that he would work harder than anyone to prove it.

"Alright, you're going to start a week from Monday and here's what you're going to do, first, no more pot, we drug test." Harvey said, running quickly over the rules – special rules just for Mike, hoping he wasn't going to end up regretting this decision. He continued on with the rules, focusing on how Mike was going to need a new wardrobe, eyes lingering on his suit which was most likely the cheapest one he'd ever seen.

Pushing back from his desk he stood up so that he and Mike could meet eye to eye. "Don't make me regret this, kid," he said, this was either going to be the biggest mistake of his entire life or the best thing he'd ever done.

"I won't, I promise you won't regret this." Mike could not believe this was happening, and he wasn't going to do anything to screw this up.

Instead his life became the rules Harvey Specter had laid out for him, a trip to Harvard, hiding that suitcase of pot (which, not technically following the rules was as best as Mike could do for the time being), no more smoking, and cutting Trevor out of his life.

This was the chance Mike had been waiting for ever since he'd made that one mistake that cost him everything. And Harvey had given him a chance to get it back, he had taken a chance on him and Mike was going to do everything he could to make sure that didn't end up being a mistake for either of them.

* * *

When Mike started at the firm there were the usual hiccups, but on the whole, Harvey was impressed. They didn't always get along perfectly but they made a good team, they complimented each other nicely and Harvey couldn't fault his decision to take a chance on the boy.

Except when he went and got high, but maybe that had been a little Harvey's fault too, which he'd admitted to himself. But unlike some people Harvey Specter could acknowledge his mistakes and do what he could to fix them

And it seemed like Mike could too – even prompting Harvey's praise as he went to confront Louis for what he'd done. _Good boy._ It had just came so naturally that night, rolled off the tongue in a low voice, as if he'd said something completely normal like Well Done or Good Work. But even as Harvey said it he knew he shouldn't have, that he couldn't go around saying things like that at work, to someone who worked for him.

But he couldn't help it.

It was late and Harvey was tired and the stack of papers in front of him needed his attention. He'd thought about taking them home but he'd decided it was easier to just finish what he'd started. Then Mike breezed through the office door with all the solutions spilling from his lips like the boy was the damn fountain of knowledge.

Harvey smiled, pushing the papers away and giving a slight nod. "Good boy," the words felt heavy in his mouth but his eyes were on the beautiful view from his office, like maybe not looking at him while he said it made it okay.

Mike couldn't help that swell of pleasure that rolled through him at those words, the nearly tangible feeling of pleasure at just two words. Working for Harvey was simultaneously the best and worst thing Mike had ever done in his life. It was getting to do this thing he'd always thought was so far out of his grasp, and at the same time seeing how woefully unprepared he was when his entire experience up to that point had been built by simply reading books.

He could read the books, and he could absorb all that information, but none of the books gave him real world knowledge. And every time he saw that look on Harvey's face that meant he'd messed up again, Mike couldn't stand it.

There had never been anyone else in his life that Mike had wanted to impress as much as he did with Harvey, and he wasn't entirely sure why either - it just happened that way. Harvey just seemed to bring it out in him.

"It just took a little creative thinking." Mike told Harvey, "Do you need anything else?" It was late and Mike probably could get away with going home, he was still getting used to these eighty hour work weeks, spending more time in the office than he did at his apartment, and yet he still asked if Harvey needed him – because that was his job, or so he told himself.

Harvey's lips thinned at that simple question about what he needed and he drummed his fingers lightly on the desk. Why did it feel like Mike Ross knew exactly what he needed? Harvey turned back to him, trying to dull his piercing gaze with a smile. "Coffee, not your job to get it for me, but it's something I need," he said as he glanced back down at what he was working on.

"You steal mine often enough it feels like it." Mike said with a wry grin, he watched Harvey for a moment longer before dropping his gaze just briefly. "I can grab you some on my way out, if you want." Mike shrugged; it would only be a few more minutes on his already too long day. He didn't need to push, it really wasn't his job to get Harvey coffee, even if his was stolen more often than not - but Harvey needed it and Mike felt like the taking care of the things Harvey needed was his job, even if it was fetching coffee.

"I like to think of it as borrowing," Harvey replied with a smirk, relaxing back in his chair. Mike was eager to please and Harvey wished he could just appreciate that in a professional way, but he couldn't help the way that it made him feel. Reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket he pulled out his wallet, holding a twenty between his fingers. "If you were to go get us both a coffee, well, I wouldn't hold it against you," he said as he held the note out to Mike.

"I think you might need to check your dictionary again," Mike said and then continued making his previous statement pointless as he defined the word from memory, "To borrow, to receive with the implied or expressed intention of returning the same or an equivalent." He smirked, just a little pleased with himself since this particular talent had seemed to be one that Harvey appreciated ever since that first meeting.

He nodded though when Harvey held out the bill to him suggesting he get coffee for the pair of them, he could do that. "Alright." Mike agreed, and soon was in one of the elevators on the way downstairs without a second thought, just happy to be able to do something more for Harvey before the end of the day.

While Mike was gone Harvey tried to get his head screwed back on straight. He shouldn't have been testing boundaries, not when they were there for an important reason. Harvey knew that just because he could get Mike to do what he asked didn't mean he should, no matter how much he enjoyed it.

At least coffee shops around this part of town seemed to understand about lawyers and their insane schedules and Mike was back up in Harvey's office two cups of coffee in hand not long after he'd left. Though rather than leave with his own cup for the night he decided to stay. "Are there any files I can get a head start on?" If he was going to be caffeinating himself he might as well have something to do.

Harvey took the coffee he was offered, glancing back up from what he was working on. "Go home, Mike. It's late," Harvey said simply, knowing it was best to send temptation home rather than tell him to sit and stay.

Pursing his lips Might fought a frown when Harvey told him to go home, there was probably something that needed to be done - this was Pearson Hardman there was always something that needed to be done after all, and yet Harvey was sending him home. He could have argued he supposed, could have reminded Harvey that he'd stayed later before - even spent the night once or twice, but in the end he just nodded. "Get some sleep, Harvey. I'll see you in the morning." Mike said, if Harvey wouldn't let him help he could at least do with a reminder that sleep was a necessary human function, even for people like Harvey Specter.

* * *

There was a reason Harvey hated pro bono cases. They made people stupid, they got their damn feelings involved and people got sloppy. Sure they were good for the firm and the image and the staving orphans and the universe and yadayadayada.

He still didn't like them. Being an Assistant DA had shown Harvey enough charity cases to last him a lifetime. But Mike always seemed to get so caught up in them and nothing short of a shaking seemed to get him to understand that getting involved didn't make him a better lawyer.

"Donna!" Harvey called, seeing the pile of folders he'd needed Mike to proof and send over to their clients still sitting untouched on his desk an hour after he'd told Mike about them. "Get me Mike," he said, gritting his teeth together as he stood before his windows, arms behind his back. "I don't care if you have to drag him here by his hair."

So maybe there were times when Mike got caught up in the cases they worked on, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, when you actually heard about the shit people had to deal with in their lives it just made you want to help them that much more, or so Mike reasoned. He still didn't understand why keeping distance between himself and clients had to be so important. Wasn't the whole reason they did pro bono cases to help people?

Which was why he'd gotten so caught up in this particular case. The client reminding him just a little too much of Grammy for him to just maintain a wall between them, no matter what Harvey said.

He'd been digging around, taking some new angle he'd thought of one that he hoped might yield something helpful when Donna of all people found him in his cubicle. Mike's eyes went wide when she stood before him. "I am under strict instructions to bring you to Harvey by any means necessary." She told him, "So please do not make me use my considerable skills to take you down and then force me to drag you through the office." And with that she turned on her heel and left, clearly expecting Mike to follow.

Wide eyed, Mike got to his feet ignoring the sniggering of his fellow associates and followed Donna rushing to catch up with her, and then was summarily pushed into Harvey's office once they'd reached it.

"You wanted to see me?" He asked.

When Mike entered the office he'd managed to quell the rage, a little bit. At least now he wasn't in danger of setting his beloved baseballs on fire with the anger rolling off him. He didn't know why it made him so furious, it was only an hour and maybe it didn't matter that much. But Mike had taken something he'd asked him to do and just not done it.

Worse than that he'd placed his priorities over Harvey's, over the firm's and that was unacceptable.

Turning back he looked at Mike for a moment before he grabbed the files off the desk and threw them against the boy's chest. "What the hell are those?" Harvey asked his voice steely.

Fumbling to catch the files Harvey thrust at him and keep their contents intact, Mike eventually managed to straighten arms full of the offending files. And he knew, he knew what they were and he understood the reason Harvey threw them at him. "They look like files to me." He just couldn't help himself though, because it had only been an hour and while it might have taken any other associate several hours to get through them all it would take him less than half that time.

Harvey saw red, it was the only way to describe it and he took a few large steps closer until he was well into Mike's personal space. "And what are they doing on my desk? When I asked you, actually I'm pretty sure I _told_ you that they needed to be taken care of right away," he was practically growling, his voice rumbling in his chest.

It was harder with Harvey so close to him to remain defiant, though Mike didn't let himself be cowed right away. He resisted that urge to step back and drop his eyes, though it was running hot through his veins while he stared at Harvey. "I needed to take care of something," Mike told him, "These won't take me long to get through." Mike didn't brag about his efficiency with the work he was given, but he was well aware that he could complete the work leaps and bounds faster than any of the other associates. It just meant he had a little extra time to work on things like this pro bono case.

Pursing his lips Harvey had to fight the urge to grab the back of Mike's neck and force his eyes down to the ground, or tell the boy to get right down on to his damn knees – the desire was just so damn visceral, especially with the way Mike was practically begging for it. "And what was so important that you ignored what I told you to do, what I needed to be done quickly," Harvey was still growling and Mike just seemed to want to make it worse for himself.

"Did you even talk to her?" Mike asked, defiant still. "Did you even talk to Mrs. Whithey? She needs our help and you're just-" Mike stopped holding the files in one arm against his chest while the other ended up gesturing vaguely, because he didn't know how to describe what Harvey was doing. Because it didn't look like this case was important to him, and Mike knew how Harvey felt about pro bono work, having had one foisted off on him all ready and he just wanted to help her. What was so wrong with that?

"No, that's what I have you for," Harvey said, gritting his teeth. "I didn't talk to her because I already know you'll win the damn case and there will be a hug and I'll continue to go on living the same life I did because quite frankly, I do not care," he said, pushing Mike lightly in the chest, over the files. "This is what I care about and when I say now? I mean right now. Not whenever the hell you feel like it."

Mike knew he was on dangerous ground, but he'd known that from the moment he'd stepped into Harvey's office. And for some reason he just could not stop himself from taking that extra step, and pushing where he knew it would be best to just keep his mouth shut. Particularly when so much of him was telling him to shut his mouth, to drop his eyes, to apologize, to make it better, all so Harvey would stop looking at him like that. "What is wrong with you?" Mike said only just keeping himself from actually swearing at Harvey. "Why is it so wrong to care about these people we're helping? Are you just completely incapable of human emotion? Please tell me because I need to know, Harvey." And suddenly Mike wondered just briefly if this was about Mrs. Whithey at all before the thought fled his mind just as quickly as it had appeared.

Harvey's hand came up almost without his permission, gripping the back of Mike's neck hard as he continued to challenge him, to argue. "Get out of my office; take those files to our client so that they get there in the time frame I gave my word that they would and if you ever challenge me in front of all these people again? I won't just fire you, I will ruin you." Harvey was disappointed in him and it was obvious from the tone of his voice to the look in his eyes as he stepped away from Mike and dropped his hand. Glancing out of his door Donna was giving him a strange look and a few people quickly looked away or hurried along like they hadn't paused to watch the show.

It was the disappointment more than the anger that made Mike finally shut up, something cold and hard settling in the pit of his stomach at that look Harvey gave him. He dropped his eyes and nodded - it wasn't even the threat of being fired that had him back peddling, seeing just how far he'd pushed and just where that had landed him now. Both arms around the files Mike turned and left without saying anything, ignoring anyone who may or may not have been watching them.

* * *

There was a trick to celebrating with clients and the trick was to make sure they thought you were drinking as much as they were and to actually drink less than half of that. Even still Harvey was feeling pretty happy as he called Ray to pick them up. It was late and it was a work night, but the deal they'd just closed had too many zeros not to enjoy themselves at least a little bit.

"How was the adults table, kid?" Harvey asked him as he stood in the fresh air outside the building, buttoning his jacket. Things had been tense for a while at the office, but as usual Mike was just too damn eager to please for Harvey to stay angry with him for long. They'd patched things up pretty seamlessly.

Mike was still reeling a little bit from getting to celebrate with the clients, well from the whole thing really - he still wasn't used to the high profile clients Pearson Hardman dealt with and that coupled with getting to be there that night like he was an actual part of the team and not just some grunt pushing papers all the time. It was pretty great.

Of course the alcohol didn't help matters either, he was smiling and bright eyed while he waited with Harvey at the end of the night. "That was - it was awesome. You do that all the time?" He asked, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement and eager to hear if this was the sort of thing he would get to look forward to in the future.

Harvey grinned at the look on Mike's face; he was just so innocent and well wishing. He felt like all the things that had once impressed him were now impressing Mike and it reminded him not to take it all for granted. "I certainly do, they do usually serve the best champagne," Harvey said, reaching out to straighten the lapel of Mike's jacket. "You did really good, kid," he added.

Mike stilled easily when Harvey's touched him, like that point of connection was enough of a tether to weigh him down where he'd felt a little like he might just come apart with all the sort of wonder and excitement that had been whirling through him after that night. "Thanks," He smiled, he didn't get praise like that often from Harvey, it was clear most of the time in the way Harvey looked at him or in something he said, but to actually be told he'd done good was something Mike loved to hear. "So, does this mean I get to sit at the adult table more often?" He asked, just a little hopeful.

The way that Mike seemed to practically shine from his praise made Harvey's stomach clench and he just wanted to tell him that he was a good boy, a good perfect boy. But Harvey only let those words slip out by accident when he couldn't help it. "Maybe you will," Harvey said quietly.

Maybe was more than Mike had expected to get, and he just grinned happily, tonight was a good night - the sort of night he needed honestly. Where he could see the good parts of all of this, see Harvey enjoying himself too outside of the office, that this was more than just paperwork and big plans that Mike still couldn't always figure out.

Ray pulled up with the car and Harvey walked slowly towards it, beckoning Mike to follow with a tilt of his head. They slid into the car and Harvey reminded Ray of Mike's address before he sat back, fingers drumming on his thigh as he looked out the window.

Sitting beside Harvey in the car, Mike couldn't help the way his leg bounced, that nervous excited energy still working its way through him. He'd end up staying up late despite the hour no doubt, until this worked its way out of his system. "Thanks for letting me come tonight, Harvey." Mike said after several quiet moments, unable to just sit in the quiet, needing something to fill it.

When Mike said those words, _Thanks for letting me come_ , Harvey's nostrils flared and he inhaled sharply, slowly turning to look at the other man. "You're vibrating," Harvey said with a dark chuckle, resting his hand on his shoulder to hopefully still the movement. "Stop," he said quietly, firmly, in that deep voice he usually reserved for a much more casual environment.

Mike was suddenly much more aware of what he'd been doing than he was before Harvey pointed it out, but when Harvey settled a hand on his shoulder and told him to stop the reaction was almost instant. Mike felt it all just melt out of him and that need to keep moving evaporated, like Harvey could just draw it out with a single touch. "Sorry," He said ducking his head and giving Harvey a wry grin. "I'm not really used to things like that, I guess. Maybe the novelty will have worn off next time."

The way Mike just followed his command, instantly, like it was the most natural thing in the world made his heart start to pound in his ears. "It's okay," Harvey said, reaching his hand out in a way that was originally intended to ruffle Mike's hair but it was soft instead, stroking the boy's hair gently. "I used to get excited about things like that, too." Harvey assured him, stroking his thumb firmly over his temple.

He just wanted to say it, needed to say it and he couldn't. But regardless it still felt like the words _Good boy_ echoed through the car.

Mike didn't really mean to, but when Harvey stroked his hair he closed his eyes and leaned into it, just slightly, before he straightened up again. "You did not." Mike chuckled, disbelieving when Harvey said he'd had a similar reaction. "I can't see you being any different than you are now." He admitted - it was a silly thought, but Mike couldn't seem to find a way to imagine Harvey as anything less than the man he was today.

He liked this though, sitting beside Harvey with the calming motion of the car moving them, and Harvey's hand in his hair. It just felt right.

There was always a tension between the two, but Harvey felt like it was totally out of control here in the confines of the spacious back seat. "Can't you? You can only see me as your boss? Exactly like I am now?" Harvey asked, maybe testing the waters a little bit. He'd made Mike lean into him once and he wanted to try that again, his thumb moving down to the base of his skull, pressing a little harder.

"That's not what I meant." Mike said slowly, sighing quietly at the feeling of Harvey's thumb pressing into his skin, making him press toward that touch. "I just meant," Mike stopped to lick his lips, trying to sort out his thoughts, which were suddenly fuzzy around the edges. "I meant, put together, your three piece suits, like you can take on the world all the time." He told him. "I thought that when we met that day, you know after I got over the very real possibility of a heart attack." Mike huffed a short laugh at the memory, that day seeming so far away now while he sat there beside Harvey.

Harvey's nostrils flared again as Mike licked his lips and it just made him want for everything he was never going to allow himself to have. He chuckled softly when Mike laughed, nodding his head. "And you wonder why I wear such nice suits," Harvey said, turning in his seat and slowly pulling his hand away from Mike's scalp, mainly to see the reaction.

Mike found himself subconsciously following Harvey's hand when he pulled away, frowning slightly before he righted himself. "To scare everyone into submission?" Mike guessed with a grin. "I think you just like them too much to wear anything else." He liked Harvey's suits, maybe they were a bit much for him, but Harvey was the sort of man who could pull that off. Mike still preferred his own style of suits, but thinking about Harvey in anything else just didn't fit in his mind.

He felt like his fingers were twitching at the absence of the warmth beneath, but the amount that he wanted to touch him surely meant he shouldn't let himself. "Do you think I need a suit to make someone submit to me, Mike?" He asked, his eyes locked on the other man's face. "I do like them though, they suit me," Harvey said as he licked his lips.

Mike opened his mouth to reply and immediately closed it again, not entirely sure how to respond to that. Maybe it was because the answer came so easily, or maybe Mike was only just catching on that maybe they weren't just talking about suits and law. "No, I don't think you need a suit for that." He said finally, slowly, unable to look anywhere but at Harvey, following the path of his tongue when he licked his lips. "Nice pun," Mike smirked, attempting to recover as much as he possibly could – maybe he'd had a little too much to drink that night. "They do though, suit you I mean."

The tension in the car was just escalating and Harvey knew they were starting to play a game they could never come back from. "You're right, I don't," he said, feeling like the looks they were giving each other actually contained heat now. "I'm very clever," he agreed with a wink. "They only have power because people think they do. That real power comes from the person, a suit might make a man look good, but they don't make a man."

Mike was sure there was very little Harvey actually needed a suit for, beyond the obvious reasons of course, but he was sure the man sitting beside him would still be the same force Mike knew him to be even out of a suit. "And very modest too." Mike grinned though, because Harvey was very clever, he'd have to be to be as good as he was. "A suit helps though, just a little." He was starting to feel restless again, needing some sort of outlet for the tension that almost made him feel like he was drowning. Mike let his fingers starting to drum against his thigh again while he considered the point Harvey was making.

"A suit helps," Harvey agreed, glancing down at himself. He watched the boy's fingers starting to fidget again and felt like if this was a different situation Mike would take a lot of training, but it would be a pleasure to be the one to do it. "I said stop," Harvey said, taking Mike's hand and pinning it behind his back, moving in so his lips were right up against his ear. "And I won't tell you again, boy." He said.

There had been something Mike was going to say, he was sure of it - it had been on the tip of his tongue, but then Harvey had reminded him that he'd been told to stop, and his hand was twisted pulled behind his back and Mike couldn't think of anything else but Harvey's breath hot against his ear. He whined, high in the back of his throat and nodded, a sharp jerk of his head in response. Not trusting himself to actually speak, Mike swallowed, licking his lips again and tipping his head back just slightly.

Mike tipped his head back and Harvey hummed happily in approval. "Such a _good boy_ ," he whispered, unable to contain it a moment longer. Because Mike without any prompting or real knowledge of what was happening was already just so good that it hurt in its perfection.

Mike had only thought Harvey's earlier praise had been nice, because that quiet voice in his ear telling him that he was a good boy now was better than anything else he'd been told that night. He didn't let himself think about it often, that need to be good for Harvey - it was all just wrapped up in that need to make sure Harvey never regretted giving him this chance, if Harvey thought he was good then it was just proof that he'd made the right decision. But this curl of warmth that had settled inside of him was so much more than that and Mike wasn't even sure how to address it.

But that was the point. Mike didn't know what was happening and that just wasn't fair. He couldn't do this. Gently releasing Mike's hand he stroked his shoulder slowly, not wanting Mike to even subconsciously think he'd done something wrong. Clearing his throat he nodded towards the window. "Almost at your stop, Mike."

He was pulled from his thoughts though when Harvey cleared his throat, breaking the sort of spell Mike had found himself under. He glanced out the window and nodded, what had been only blurs of windows and lights before was now familiar sights as they neared his apartment building. "Harvey-" Mike started and stopped, not sure what he should say, if there was anything to say at all.

Harvey had crossed the line. He was usually proud of crossing lines but this one, it could hurt Mike too much, it could hurt him too and Harvey Specter never let himself get into the position of being hurt. His name, said so unsure made every reflex in him want to reassure him, need to reassure him. It was his job to look after him and leaving him like this seemed so wrong. "Mike, it's okay, rookie. I promise, everything is okay," he assured him, fingers gently moving up and down his spine.

Mike exhaled slowly, just let himself focus on the feeling of Harvey's fingers touching him, the soothing repetition of the up and down motion Harvey used then. He nodded eventually, he still didn't know what had happened, how they'd ended up right here, things blurring together in his mind when he tried to piece it out and make sense of it.

All he really knew was Harvey touching him. "Okay," He said finally nodding again, like if he repeated it enough it would make that the truth.

The car slowed and pulled up outside Mike's building, Harvey stroking his hand over the boy's lower back. "Time to go, kid," he said quietly, leaning across Mike to open the door for him. "I'll see you at work tomorrow; we've got lots to do."

Harvey felt like he was panicking, but he had a well-practiced mask to cover that.

Harvey was just so close tonight, Mike was almost glad they had made it to his apartment, because he wasn't sure how he was supposed to stand that much longer, not if he was supposed to stay still like Harvey had told him to. "Yeah," He licked his lips and nodded. "I'll ah, see you tomorrow." He agreed watching Harvey's face for a moment before he let himself move toward the open door and then getting out.

"Thanks for tonight, Harvey." Mike said quietly, leaning back in for just a moment, though exactly which part of the night he was thankful for even Mike wasn't entirely certain, and with that he closed the door and headed upstairs.

When Mike shut the door Harvey put his head in his hands, the car pulling away and making him want to leap out the door. Squeezing his temples he realized that his hands were shaking.

This was so, so bad.

* * *

After what had happened in the back of his car, Harvey had known he'd have to talk to Mike about what was going on. It wasn't fair on either of them, but not only that it also wasn't safe for Mike to rely so much on Harvey and not even realize it.

But knowing he had to do something and doing it were two very different things. So Harvey put it off for a few days, until the tension had got to a totally ridiculous level and he knew he couldn't wait anymore. This was not a conversation to have at the office and he didn't want to command Mike come home with him, because that was just- yeah it was best he didn't get Mike into his home, no matter how nice that thought suddenly was – especially given how nice that thought suddenly was.

So Harvey called the office to make sure Mike was gone before he dialed in Mike's number and telling him he'd be at his apartment in twenty minutes for a talk. So at least now when he knocked at Mike's door, he was expected. He'd even changed into more casual clothing in the hopes of being less intimidating and more approachable, although he doubted it would do any good.

Mike might not have known exactly what was going on between him and Harvey, but he wasn't completely clueless. He felt the tension and some underlying need in all of his interactions with Harvey, though how exactly to define all of that Mike wasn't sure. He'd searched through his memory banks looking for the right word, idea, theory and come up blank again and again. Though at the end of the day a large part of him didn't feel like it mattered that he couldn't name it - not when it all felt so good.

However, when Harvey called to tell him he was coming over, to his apartment, Mike's heart jumped up into his throat. He spent the better part of those twenty minutes stuffing pizza boxes into his oven and shoving dirty clothes under his bed and stacking up piles of paper into what he hoped looked like organized stacks rather than just haphazard piles.

And despite all of that Mike felt no more prepared to have Harvey in his home than he would have if he hadn't done anything. Still when Harvey knocked Mike opened the door and let him in, heart racing all ready.

"Do you want anything?" Though what did Mike really have to offer? A few bottles of cheap wine (thank god he was just a little classier than boxed wine - this week) and some water, but he felt like he should offer all the same. It was part of being a good host, some part of his brain supplied, and not really about making sure that Harvey had what he needed.

When Mike asked Harvey if he wanted anything he straightened up a little, nostrils flaring at the idea. How could one person be so accommodating without even realize what was happening between them. Mike was so naturally submissive that it drove Harvey just a little bit crazy when he said things like that. "Water would be great," Harvey said, gently closing the door behind him.

Stepping into Mike's space Harvey did his best to keep his feelings about it off his face. At least while it wasn't very nice at least it was clean and didn't smell quite as bad as it looked like it might.

"Yeah, okay." Mike nodded, standing there with Harvey for just a minute. With Harvey so close, in his home, in the one place that Mike had for himself he wasn't sure how to respond. This was the one place Mike let himself relax and yet with Harvey there he felt on edge. It took him several moments, before he could make himself move.

He fled to the kitchen, ducking out of Harvey's line of sight so he could at least pretend like having Harvey in his home didn't make it impossible for him to think straight. Mike pulled two bottles of water from the fridge and steadied himself at the counter for just a moment before he turned around. "I didn't really expect you to be here … ever." He said offering Harvey one of the bottles.

There was that tension again, delicious and thick, hanging between them in a way that made Harvey swear he could taste it in the air. He had to smile when Mike practically ran from him though, stepping into the space and walking in a slow circle around the room while Mike got them a drink.

"I need to talk to you about something," Harvey said carefully, turning back to look at Mike and take the water he was offered. "Sit down," he said firmly, indicating the end of the couch.

Mike thought maybe he was supposed to be the one who offered seating in his own home, but that thought was secondary in his mind as he dropped down where Harvey indicated. "Okay," He said slowly, running through his mind trying to find what it was Harvey needed to talk to him about that would bring him to his home. "You're not here to fire me are you?"

Harvey stood over him for a moment before taking a seat on the coffee table across from him, close enough so their knees almost touched. "No, this isn't about work, or your job. Everything there is fine and you have nothing to worry about," Harvey soothed him quietly. "Well nothing to worry about so long as you keep up the good work that is," he teased with a little smile, hoping to lessen some of the tension.

The relief that he wasn't about to lose his job was almost visible as it worked through Mike. "I will." He nodded, he'd already seen what happened when he messed up - and he knew how that felt and he wasn't in a hurry to do that again, he wanted to do good work. "So, if it's not about work, then what?" Mike was almost scared to ask, but he did because he wasn't sure he could just wait for it, whatever it might be.

"Calm down, it's okay," Harvey assured him, placing his hand gently on Mike's knee because he could feel the fear in Mike and that was the last thing he wanted. "I want to talk to you about something and it might sound a little crazy but I do have a point," Harvey paused to open his water and take a sip, putting the bottle down on the table beside him. "Tell me what you know about dominants and submissives," Harvey said, thumb pressing softly into Mike's knee to encourage him to answer.

Mike breathed out slowly, focusing on Harvey's hand on his knee - the warmth of Harvey through his clothes. And after a moment he felt better, he could look up at Harvey and feel like it wasn't the end of the world just waiting for him. He nodded waiting for whatever crazy thing it was Harvey was going to tell him, not sure what exactly it would be. "Ah-" Mike opened his mouth to reply but stopped closing his mouth just as quickly as he'd started.

He thought about the question, thinking about the definitions that came to mind - music, genetics, ecology but thinking about it in this context, none of it seemed to make any sense here. "I don't know, all I've got is definitions - a dominant individual in a social hierarchy, someone who submits to others. I mean," Mike shook his head trailing off, just a little hesitant before he continued, "and really bad porn, but … yeah." Mike ignored the small part of his brain that was screaming that he'd just admitted to Harvey that he watched really bad porn.

Harvey laughed and gave a little nod as he stroked his thumb back and forth over Mike's knee. "Funnily enough, you're most right with the bad porn theory," he said, running his hand restlessly and uncharacteristically through his hair, feeling like this situation was stressful for him too. "Okay, first off, we'll call them Doms and subs for short, okay. Now a lot of people see BDSM as something overtly sexual and it is, or it can be, but it's not just about that. A Dom may be aroused by the control he has over a sub, but it's that control he craves. Where as someone who is a sub might crave to be told what to do, how to sit, when they're good, when they're bad and they might be aroused by this but they also get a feeling of just... overall wellbeing, I've heard it described as like being high," Harvey explained, keeping his voice low and level as he looked into Mike's eyes.

Mike really tried to follow Harvey's explanation, but he wasn't really able to piece together why exactly this was something they needed to talk about. Doms and subs and BDSM (his mind fleshing out the acronym for him). He followed the words, understood the meaning of them all and the sort of ideas they conveyed but he didn't understand why. Not until Harvey started to tell him what a sub might crave. The feeling of familiarity in those words - his mind working to connect the dots he hadn't seen before.

"Oh, I - oh." Mike stopped himself unsure of what he should even say. "Okay so a Dom craves control and a sub craves - those things." He finished dumbly, "Right, okay, got it." He nodded, not really looking at Harvey anymore, instead focusing on Harvey's hand on his knee. Feeling like it was the safer focal point at the moment.

At least Mike was taking the news better than he'd hoped, not laughing it off and putting a whole room between them like Harvey had thought he might. At least he seemed open to talking and that was the first step in sorting out this mess.

"Yes and no, a Dom craves control, yes, but most Doms, a Dom like me," he paused to grip Mike's knee a little tighter, trying to bring his eyes back to his face. "Crave control given freely, by someone who wants to please them. Everyone is different and some people like pain and over people like servitude, but the thing I'm trying to tell you is that what we're doing isn't as innocent as you think it is and it feels very wrong for us to be involved like this when you don't even know what you're doing and because of our situation."

Mike understood what that hand on his knee was asking for, and he lifted his face watching Harvey while he spoke, making it impossible for Mike to even pretend that he didn't know this conversation was about them. That if Harvey was the Dom here then that made him the sub and those things he did - all of those times he'd just wanted Harvey to acknowledge him, to see that he was doing good work, to take care of the things Harvey needed, they were somehow a part of this. "So what are we doing, Harvey? Because I don't understand."

Harvey wanted to thread his fingers through Mike's hair and Harvey always got what he wanted, except now, with this, he had to do what was best. "Being a sub doesn't make someone weak," he said, because he had to reassure him before he put an end to it. "Not even a little bit. Being a sub is something to be proud of, that you know what you want and you're not afraid to have it." But this wasn't about reassuring Mike about what he might very well be. This was about them. "I know you don't which is why this is going to have to stop. The touching, the sending you to do things for me, asking things of you, telling you what to do, all of that is going to have to stop. I can't be telling my Associate what a good, beautiful, perfect boy he is, you know that." Harvey paused, sitting back a bit and putting his hand back on his knee.

Mike wasn't even ready to start thinking about what it meant to be a sub, if that was what he was supposed to be here. He couldn't not when Harvey was saying this had to stop. "Isn't that my job?" Mike asked slowly. "Doing things for you, you telling me what to do?" Mike asked, ignoring that sudden drop in the pit of his stomach, when Mike let himself think about how much he'd liked when Harvey had called him a good boy, the way it settled something inside of him he'd never known was restless until then. "Why can't you do that?"

Everything was a little bit easier with Mike being as smart as he was, it's why Harvey had hired him in the first place. "It is but it isn't, I know when I'm crossing the line and I'm going to stop. I just didn't want you to think it was because of something you said or did." Harvey said, sitting back a bit to put more space between them. "Why can't I what? Tell you that you're a good boy?" Harvey asked, eyebrows arching as his gaze snapped back to Mike's eyes from where he'd been glancing around his place.

"It is." Mike agreed because if Harvey suddenly stopped telling him what to do Mike was pretty sure he wouldn't have a job anymore, either that or Louis would take his place and that thought was not a pleasant one at all. But none of that was important when Harvey looked at him again, it made him want to drop his gaze all over again, but he didn't let himself. "Yes, that. Why can't you do that?" Mike asked. "If it's something you want, and it's something I want, why can't you?"

Harvey really wanted to give in to those sweet blue eyes, give in to the assurance that it was what Mike wanted too. But that was weak and he needed to be strong. "For so many reasons, Mike. Because the relationship between a Dom and sub is even more serious than a sexual relationship and when it ends it can be messy. Because you work for me and I don't want it to be obvious what's between us." Harvey paused, placing his fingertip under Mike's chin and bringing his head up high. "But mainly because it won't just end there, it will escalate and I don't think you fully understand what you're asking for."

"Nothing - nothing has even started and you're thinking about messy endings?" Mike couldn't stop himself, couldn't keep his frustration to himself at all of this. It was all new and Mike was still trying to sort out what he thought about it, but Harvey was cutting him off before he could even find a stopping point himself. "Harvey -" Mike started and stopped. "This - all of this, you can't just tell me about it and then say that's it." Mike only just managed to stop himself from saying it wasn't fair - it wasn't but saying that, actually saying it felt like it would only prove Harvey's point.

Harvey had been careful his entire life to avoid messes. Messy relationships, messy houses, messy people, but everything with Mike had kind of been a mess from the start and it was just getting worse. "I'm thinking about the firm. I'm thinking about my future, your future and how this could affect both of those things," Harvey said, keeping his finger under Mike's chin. "I'm telling you about this so that you understand, because you deserve to know," he sighed, lips pursing as he looked into Mike's eyes. "I can't be your boss, your friend and your Dom, not when you have no idea what you'd be getting yourself in to."

He shouldn't have been surprised really, how many times had Harvey told that what he cared about most was himself? Often enough that Mike should have known better. "Right, of course you are." Mike nodded, the firm and Harvey's future, and last Mike's - and how this might mess up the future Harvey wanted for himself at the firm. "So tell me." Mike said, he shouldn't press, not when Harvey had made it clear that they couldn't but Mike couldn't help himself. "Tell me what I'm getting myself into, Harvey, please."

His jaw clenched when Mike asked like that, pleaded with him to tell him and the words sliced through him like a hot blade. Harvey wanted to, he really did, tell him how he would train him and keep him, use him and _have_ him in every way imaginable but that wasn't going to make getting out of this any easier. "I can't, Mike," he said quietly, shaking his head. "It's so complicated and being a sub, if you decide that's what you are, is something you need to come to on your own, not because I tell you that's what you are."

It was just so damn frustrating, to have Harvey there, telling him just enough to make sense and yet not enough for him to understand it. Part of him wanted to argue, to continue to press - find where it hurt for Harvey, just like he'd been taught. Mike couldn't though, not with that tone Harvey used, not with that look in his eyes. "So what now?" Mike asked quietly. "You're just going to leave and we forget that we had this conversation and you stop telling me what to do at the office?"

This was the hardest thing Harvey had ever had to do, to fight his own instinct and everything that he wanted to do what he really did think was the right thing. Harvey let his finger slip from under Mike's chin, clasping his hands together so he wouldn't touch him again. "Now I'm going to go home and I'm going to see you at work tomorrow and everything is going to go back to normal. I'm still going to tell you what to do, but just not how I might have been recently." Looking into Mike's eyes he gave a sad little smile as he shook his head slowly from side to side. "There are a lot of good Doms out there and every single one of them would be lucky to call you theirs," he said quietly, sadly as he stood up.

Mike wanted to lean toward Harvey when he pulled his hand away again, wanted Harvey touching him again. But he stayed where he was for a moment, and then leaned back putting space between them because he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep himself from reaching out if he didn't. He dropped his eyes to his hands this time, utterly fascinated with the way his jeans felt beneath his fingers. "Yeah, alright." Mike nodded without looking up at Harvey when he stood.

"I guess, I'll see you tomorrow." He sighed, closing his eyes and pressing his face into his hands. He was going to be fine. He'd been fine before this conversation and he'd be fine after. He just needed a little time.

* * *

Harvey Specter didn't need anybody, it was what he'd prided himself on his entire life. He never needed anyone to help him move from a small town to New York, he never needed anyone when his brother had passed away and he'd certainly never needed anyone when he'd been made Senior Partner. He didn't need anyone because he did that, all of that, on his own, got through it on his own. Sure he'd had some short term fun, he sometimes did casual scenes with eager subs, but he'd never needed anyone until he met Mike.

But needing him, wanting him, that was a weakness and one he just wasn't going to allow himself to have. So after what he'd seen as effectively nipping a problem in the bud he'd tried to go back to normal, to what he assumed normal felt like. Because the more he thought about it the more he realized that from the start, from day one, his relationship with Mike had been anything but normal. He felt like even if he hadn't already been familiar with domination that they'd have ended up in the same place but maybe then he wouldn't have had to feel guilty about it.

Stopping himself hadn't been easy and while he still sent Mike around to do what he needed he stopped with the voice that he knew Mike responded to, he stopped touching him, standing close to him, he stopped stealing his coffee and looking into his eyes like he wanted to stare into them forever. Harvey did the best impression of a boss working with his employee that he could manage.

But the problem was he did it too well.

So instead of what he'd hoped would be a gradual change from where they'd been to where they should be, it was anything but. It was sudden and unnatural and Harvey felt the loss like he'd spent his whole life with his hand wrapped around something and now it was gone. But convinced it was for the best and he was doing the right thing he refused to back down, hoping one day it would get better, it would get easier and that they'd be alright again.

Before Harvey had come to talk to him that night, before Harvey had made Mike aware of things he'd been completely oblivious about until that night he'd never been aware of just how far they'd gone by that point and after - once Harvey stopped Mike was so painfully aware of what was missing. It was something he hadn't even known he was getting, something he hadn't even known he'd needed and then suddenly without it Mike felt lost.

He tried, he really did. Because Harvey said they needed to stop, that it wasn't appropriate and there was just too much that could go wrong, so Mike tried to stop it. He tried not to let himself get hopeful every time he went to see Harvey, tried not to wait to hear something in that all too familiar tone of voice, tried not to wait expectantly for the praise that didn't come.

It was harder than he'd thought it would be.

Nearly impossible, to be perfectly honest. Mike couldn't help it. He'd suddenly had his eyes opened to something that he didn't understand and it was all he wanted.

Harvey said he couldn't, because Mike didn't know what he was asking for - that at least was something he could fix. It took time, of course, but Mike managed to squeeze in his own personal research, starting with the internet. He looked up Dominant and submissive, looked up BDSM, spent far too much time on wikipedia trying to figure it all out and from there he'd gone to Amazon, because there was no way in hell he was going to check out any sort of book about any of this from the library.

Every night he went home and he read and learned and just like he told Harvey once he read something he understood it, and once he understood something he never forgot it. But like everything he'd read about law, this was all just knowledge from books, it wasn't a knowledge born from experience and trial and error the way most people learned. He could have found someone to teach him he supposed, Harvey had told him there were other Doms, other people who would be happy to have him, but Mike was stubborn and he didn't just want any other Dom, he didn't want some nameless person – he wanted Harvey.

Which was why he was standing outside Harvey's door for the second time, at least this time he could say he wasn't drunk. He did worry though, what Harvey would say - if he would simply tell him to leave and then close the door in his face, it was a chance that Mike was willing to take though.

He knocked and waited, hands clasped behind his back until Harvey opened the door. "I think we need to talk."

The last thing Harvey expected was Mike at his door, late at night and looking like a man on a mission. He worried for a moment that something might be wrong and that was why he stepped back and let the boy into his pristine apartment.

"Okay, talk," Harvey said, standing with his hands behind his back as he faced the window, looking out over the city.

Despite having come over to talk, to have this conversation with Harvey, Mike hadn't actually been prepared to step into Harvey's apartment. It took him a minute to get used to the idea that he had made it past that first step, what he'd thought was going to be the hardest step.

"Okay, so - you remember the last conversation we had, right?" Mike asked, but he continued without really waiting for Harvey to respond. "You said being a sub was something I had to decide for myself, not because you told me that was what I am. And you told me this - all of it was complicated and I didn't understand it. So I've been doing some reading since then, well a lot of reading - and I know I told you about me and reading and I think we should talk about this again."

Mike wouldn't claim to be an expert and he wouldn't claim to know everything, but what he would say is that he was far more informed this time than he had been before. And he would say that he had spent long enough thinking about this to know it wasn't just something born from Harvey's suggestion. And that was a starting point.

Harvey made a sound under his breath when Mike asked him if he remembered, sometimes he wondered if the kid really thought before he spoke, of course he remembered. But he was off and running before Harvey could answer and onto what he'd come here to say.

Breathing slowly in through his nose he turned around to face Mike, if they were going to talk seriously he'd need to let down a few of his usual walls and pretending Mike wasn't there really wouldn't do anyone any good. Sitting down at his end of the couch he crossed his legs and gestured to the other side. "Would you like to sit?" He asked, the words feeling wrong in his mouth even as he said them.

Mike said it all in a rush when he'd told Harvey why he'd come over, what he wanted to talk about. When Harvey asked if he wanted to sit, asked instead of told him to Mike hesitated. Maybe he hadn't expected to tell Harvey that he had been reading and then suddenly Harvey would change his mind and things would go back to the way they had been, but when nothing at all changed – well Mike was caught a little off guard.

"I- yeah." He nodded sitting down on the opposite side of the couch, pulling one leg beneath him. "I just, you said you couldn't explain it to me because I didn't understand what I was asking for - but I understand better now."

He was so sweet and eager, really just like the puppy Harvey had accused him of being, and Harvey struggled not to give in to what he felt like they both needed, he assumed he'd just have to struggle with that every day. "Oh, kid," Harvey said softly, bringing both his hands together in front of him so he wouldn't touch Mike.

"The bond between a submissive as his Master is... Well for a lot of people, me included, the most serious relationship there is. Now I've scened, casually. A Dom for a night kind of deal, but it wouldn't be like that with us. I wouldn't be able to turn it on and off, do you know what I mean?" Harvey asked, keeping his voice gentle as he watched Mike's face.

Mike bit his lip, watched Harvey while he spoke and just waited, waited for what he hoped wouldn't just be Harvey turning him down all over again. He nodded. "Yes, I know what you mean." Mike nodded, "I didn't come here to ask you for a one night thing, I don't want that, Harvey." He couldn't have done something casual - not if he was going to keep working with Harvey.

"That's not what I mean," Harvey said gently, patting the center seat of the couch so that Mike would move closer. "Look, some people practice in the bedroom, it's about sex and submission and heat and lust and I love that. I love hearing someone begging me to come for three hours, until their voice cracks and they have tears running down their faces," he said quietly, wanting to paint the picture for Mike. "But it's not just that for me, the reason I'm single, that I don't have someone is because with me it would be twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. There would be no off time, no down time. There would be you belonging to me, serving me, being mine, not just when you feel like it," Harvey said, tempted to shake Mike to get him to understand what he was trying to say.

Mike moved closer at Harvey's prompting. His stomach clenched when Harvey created a picture in his mind, that idea so clear Mike couldn't help the way he leaned toward Harvey just slightly. "This - us, Harvey. I didn't just come here to talk about it in theory with you. I work for you Harvey, I don't want to jeopardize that for something I'm not going to take seriously." He shook his head. "And I know it's been a while since you've been an associate but working at Pearson Hardman, it's a bit like a twenty four hour a day seven day a week job, I think I know what I'm asking for."

Harvey sighed, his lips thinning as he pressed them together, Mike sounded so sure of himself, so confident and that worried him, because he didn't know if he could feel the same confidence, not yet. "Do you know what subdrop is?" Harvey asked, trying to keep the same even tone in his voice and not get worked up.

"Subdrop is the return to normality, the coming down feeling that many submissives experience after intense scenes." Mike said the word which would have stumped him had Harvey asked him during that first conversation finding its definition in his mind this time easily. "It can be good or bad, and it varies from person to person, lasting anywhere from minutes, to hours, or days in some cases. More?" Mike asked, not sure if he could continue, not everyone appreciated his encyclopedic knowledge and there was a time and a place for all people.

He smiled, he couldn't help it, Mike was studying for this like it was just another test and he had to give him credit for it. "You're right. But that's just book knowledge, you don't know how it feels or what it might do to you and I just-" Harvey cut himself off, reaching out his hand and placing it on Mike's forearm. "I don't know if I'm ready to be a twenty four seven master any more than you are to be a twenty four seven sub. I don't-" he cut himself off again, cupping Mike's cheek gently in his other hand. "I don't want to ruin us both."

"It's not something I can just go out and experience for myself with just anyone," Mike protested because he knew that so much of what he knew about, well, everything was just book knowledge. It had been shown to him time and again that his ability to perfectly recall information wasn't always the only thing he needed to get the job done. "Can't we just try? I - I miss the way you used to touch me." Mike said slowly, closing his eyes and pressing toward that hand on his cheek.

He swallowed and opened his eyes again. "Harvey please, I've never wanted something like this before, not with anyone else - and it's all I can think about when I'm around you." Mike knew there was a line here, one that would be hard to cross back over again if Harvey did turn him away again. A line where he confessed things that might make it more than a little difficult if he was going to continue working with Harvey, but it felt like they were things that needed to be said. "I want to be good for you, and not just - not just winning cases and doing better work than the other associates. I want to be yours, Harvey."

There was a buzzing in his ears, he could still hear every delicious word Mike said but there was just this noise overlaying it and he felt like he couldn't think clearly. Harvey was going to make the wrong decision here, that felt like that was the only thing he knew but now he wasn't sure which one was wrong.

Mike wanted to be good for him and hell, he already was.

Harvey nodded slowly, biting the inside of his bottom lip. "You are always making me rethink everything I do and it's still annoying," he said, watching Mike carefully. Harvey hesitated for a moment before he slid his hand up Mike's arm and behind him, pulling the boy easily into his chest as he lay back against the arm of the couch. "There are going to be rules and we have so much to talk about before we can even think about starting this. Do you understand?"

Those moments when Harvey just looked at him, rather than responding, they stretched on for what felt like hours, to the point where Mike was sure this had been the biggest mistake of his life, coming here and telling Harvey Specter of all people that he wanted to belong to him. But then Harvey nodded, and he spoke and Mike couldn't help grinning.

He went easily when Harvey pulled him close, closed his eyes as he pressed into Harvey's chest and he nodded. "Rules are good, I like rules." Mike hadn't expected there wouldn't be rules if Harvey agreed to this, rules were something of a given in his mind.

Harvey's arms wrapped tightly around Mike as he gave in to holding him in a way he knew they'd never come back from. They'd never come back from any of this and maybe he didn't want to. Carding his fingers softly through the boy's hair he closed his eyes, like every single weight of the world was off his shoulders because Mike was in his arms. All of his concerns weren't gone, in fact they were still simmering under the surface but he felt like denying this was just forcing them both to live a lie. "Eyes up here," he said, finally letting himself use that tone, the one he saved just for Mike.

Everything clicked into place with that tone, that restless humming feeling that had been whirling around in his chest since Harvey had told him he needed to stop finally stilling again, and Mike couldn't do anything but lift his eyes like he was told.

"There's someone I want you to meet, her name is Lila Fisher," Harvey said with a smile. "I don't want you isolated in this, with no one you feel like you can trust or talk to. If you meet her and don't feel like you can tell her everything from how you love sucking cock to how it feels when I disappoint you then we'll find someone else and someone else until you find someone you would happily tell every single intimate detail to. Because this person is going to be your lifeline, okay?"

Mike nodded when Harvey told him about Lila, "Okay." He could do that, he could meet her and they could talk and Mike would try to see if she felt like someone he'd be able to talk to, though Mike wondered if there was actually such a person that he'd feel comfortable enough with to share that much. He couldn't even imagine telling Trevor anything about this and Trevor was his best and oldest friend. Like he imagined most things in this relationship with Harvey, it would take time.

"And when everything is ironed out and you're comfortable and I'm comfortable, we'll see," Harvey said as he stroked his fingers through Mike's hair again, never wanting to stop touching him now he'd started. At least now he wouldn't have to.

"But most importantly?" Harvey said as he slid his hand down over Mike's jaw, fingers sliding under his chin. "No one touches you without my permission. Within reason of course, handshakes for business, hugs for friends. But you do not kiss, you do not even look, and anyone who breaks that rule, you or otherwise, answers to me. Do you understand?"

It would have been all too easy to just close his eyes and just soak in that feeling of Harvey's fingers in his hair, fingertips against his scalp, and the steady rise and fall of his chest. But Mike didn't let himself do that, he looked at Harvey while he spoke and nodded. "We'll see." He repeated. He could wait, he could wait for things to be ironed out, so long as Harvey kept touching him it seemed.

Mike licked his lips when Harvey continued and this rule in particular perhaps more than any other Harvey might have given him felt like the ownership he'd wanted. "I understand." Mike didn't really touch people all that often as it was, and other than Harvey (for a time) most people rarely touched him as well.

Sliding his hand down to cup the back of Mike's head Harvey pressed down gently so that the boy would settle back against his chest. "Good boy," he said quietly, pulling more of Mike's weight onto him and letting it press him down into the cushions.

* * *

Donna had been watching Mike and Harvey ever since that first interview. She has known Harvey for years now, been taking care of things he didn't even know he needed as well as the things he knew he needed, and generally making herself as indispensable as humanly possible. It hasn't always been easy and there were a few times at the beginning when even she wasn't sure she had the wherewithal to deal with Harvey Specter for another second longer.

But she did, because she's Donna and Harvey might be the best closer in Manhattan but she was the best assistant in the city - more likely the state, but she left the ego trips to Harvey.

It was her job to take care of the things Harvey needed, she did the behind the scenes work, she had the connections around the office and with other firms in the city, and she was the one Harvey went to when he needs something.

And then came Mike Ross.

The seemingly unassuming kid who just stumbled his way into the best job he was ever going to get and into Harvey's life like it was no trouble at all. That's not to say he didn't struggle, because Donna saw him struggle every day - from that very first day all the way through until the present day.

But more than just struggling she had seen Mike wanting, she'd seen the way he looked at Harvey, and she'd seen the way Harvey looked at him, she'd seen the small smiles and the way Mike ducked his head when Harvey deigned to let the kid know that he was actually doing a great job, and she'd seen the way he sort of curled in on himself when he knew he'd messed up. The way he snapped to attention, and that tone of voice Harvey slipped into around him.

Some people might not piece it all together, some people might just see a kid eager to prove he could do the job, and some people might write off Harvey's behavior as exasperation, or frustration, maybe even pride occasionally. But Donna wasn't some people, and she'd known Harvey long enough to know what is going on when she saw it.

Particularly when things started to change.

Harvey understood that everything changed, that everything was constantly evolving and that fighting that would leave him old and out of touch, unable to do much of anything at all. But that way he and Mike were changing felt fast, too fast. Maybe being a natural, or two naturals it seemed, was dangerous. It felt like once they both know what they were doing, once they'd given in to it, it was in every single thing they did.

It probably was all ready.

Mike made Harvey smile, sometimes it was just a twitch of his lips, because he was proud, or an outright grin because Mike was goofy and young and charming. But he felt it more now, that little smile that said what he couldn't _you're doing so well, boy_ because there was no place for that in his office.

He worried they weren't hiding it well, but he also knew that people don't often notice things that were right under their nose. Harvey also assumed they weren't going to read into something they probably didn't understand. Or that was his hope.

Standing beside the big glass windows in his office he watched Mike head back to his desk, lips pursed before he looked back over the city. They aren't even doing anything yet, they're not ready, they're just not fighting it anymore and it was already everything Harvey wants it to be.

"Do you know what you're doing with him?" Donna never bothered with beating around the bush, or trying to play coy with Harvey. She'd earned that right, just like she'd earned the right to listen in on every conversation that happened in Harvey's office if she wanted to.

She closed the door behind her when she stepped inside, giving them as much privacy as a firm filled with glass walls could offer. "Does _he_ know what you're doing with him, might be the better question though."

Glancing at Donna he raised his eyebrows, wondering just how much she knew, probably everything knowing her. "I'm thinking about selling him on the black market if he screws up this case," Harvey said with a little smile, determined not to give away any information she might not already have.

"I'm sure he has no idea about my plans to profit from selling him to the highest bidder, no," he added.

"This is not like when Scotty comes to town and we pretend like I don't know exactly what you two are doing." She warned him, because she had no doubt in Harvey's ability to continue to play dumb far longer than she had the patience for if that was what he thought was best, and she was going to stop that thought right then and there.

Pursing her lips she looked at him, he'd seemed - happier she thought, though there were a few days when he was anything but happy, leaving the office in a mood only to return the next day like everything was right once again. She'd seen the same change in Mike, it didn't take a genius. "Now, you will tell me what you're doing with that boy, and you will not leave anything out, and you will not sell him or I am going to take all of that vacation time I have been saving up, and leave you with a temp. Now talk."

It wasn't at all like it was with Scotty, but Harvey wasn't going to even go in to that, the two were just too totally different situations.

There was no crossing Donna, no messing with her either, unless it was harmless fun and he knew keeping anything from her was pointless. Sitting back against his neck he scanned the hallway for a moment before looking back at her. "I'm going to give you the quick version, he started here, we are a certain way with each other, a way I don't feel like I need to go in to because you're so ridiculously smart. I realized what we were doing. I talked to him, informed him because he had no idea. I ended it. He educated himself, came to me, asked me to take him back and we're still working out the fine print," he said quickly, trusting Donna to keep up and read between the lines.

She'd come into his place and seen handcuffs hanging around and listened in on him more than enough times to know exactly what was going on.

Donna listened while Harvey explained, the quick version with as few details as possible, but it was enough. Enough that it allayed her fears for them both, at least slightly. She really would have had to smack Harvey if he was doing all of this and either wasn't aware of it or hadn't made sure Mike was aware of it too.

"And how is the fine print going?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him, she didn't need details about this - because Harvey was more than welcome to do whatever he liked in his private life, but they were bringing it into the office now, and that made it her problem too.

Usually when he started talking to Donna about something serious, all it did was remind Harvey she needed a raise. "It's slow going, I'm taking precautions to protect him, every single one I can," Harvey said as he slid his hands into his pockets. "I still feel like I'm going to end up getting sued."

She might be the best, but if something happened to Harvey here, she would likely be dragged into that as well, and her looking out for Harvey was just as much her looking out for herself. "You do know that you don't hide it as well as you think you do, right? Louis won't notice, but someone might."

The idea that someone would notice worried him and he looked down at Donna, considering her for a moment. "Do you say that because you know everything or are you saying I'm being obvious?"

Donna loved Harvey, not a romantic love because well this was Harvey and Donna would never let herself do something like that - but she loved him in the way that she loved people who were important to her. People who saw her for more than just a personal assistant and treated her like an actual human being. It was the sort of love born of years of working with Harvey and seeing him at his very best and at some of his very lowest points.

And now here they were, and she watched the way Harvey seemed to still be looking for answers, so unlike the man she knew. "Both." She answered smoothly, because she did know everything, and Harvey was being obvious - though it was a relative term. Obvious for Harvey didn't mean the same thing it meant for everyone else. "You've been smiling too much."

The idea that he'd been smiling so much was ludicrous, because Harvey was a lot of things but he wasn't the sort of person who stood around smiling because of a boy. So he just made a face at Donna and looked away.

"Maybe you should talk to someone about this." She suggested. Because she could be the one to tell Harvey when he was being a complete idiot, and she could make him tell her when he was doing something that had the potential to be bad for all of them, but she couldn't give him advice in this case. "Someone who has some experience in all of this, rather than just standing around waiting to be sued. You don't normally need the push to act, but this is me giving it to you now - do not make a mess of this, and do not be too proud to ask for help, Harvey."

He'd been so worried about finding Mike someone to talk to and support him; he'd never even considered maybe he needed it too. But now that Donna said it, he realized she was right. Usually one never to ask for directions maybe he did need someone, someone who knew how this felt, just to get out some of his concerns. "Alright," Harvey said simply, bowing his head a little bit. She was right, but that wasn't a surprise.

"Let's go to lunch," Harvey said, pushing off the desk and placing his hand gently on her elbow to steer her towards the door. He really wasn't going to hug her in his office, he wasn't that stupid and she deserved better than that rumor going around, but the touch to her elbow meant the same thing. "I'm sure you've got a list of places you've been waiting to use to bankrupt me."

A simple agreement was all Donna needed, just to be sure that Harvey was aware of what was happening and this wasn't going to be something that went up in smoke before it had even begun. Harvey was a brilliant man; he just occasionally needed someone else to remind him of common sense.

"Funny that you mention it, I know just the place." She assured him, smiling easily, her worries put to rest for the moment.

* * *

Lila Fisher was young, but she was the sort of woman who knew what she wanted and had made quite the life for herself in New York. She'd grown up in a big family, twelve brothers and sisters and hippy parents that really should have stopped with three children. But they'd lived on a big property and had been almost totally self-sustained.

Like most people to leave their families at sixteen, young stupid love had moved her to New York and while it hadn't lasted she'd fallen for the city instead. Now at twenty four she owned her own vegan cafe and lived over it, with a roof top vegetable garden and a compost heap that drove the neighbors crazy.

The cafe was quiet after about 8pm and Lila remained, having tea with a few of her lingering regulars until they headed home as well. Leaving the door unlocked, because she was expecting someone, she flipped the sign to closed and headed back to make a fresh pot of chai.

It was an early night for Mike all things considered, so often he found himself working late into the night at the office, either going through records looking for precedence or looking for loopholes, or just anything that was dropped onto his desk during the day, that being out of the office before 10 felt just a little wrong.

And yet there he was on the street looking for the cafe where he was supposed to meet Lila that evening. He still wasn't entirely sure how this was going to go, or what he was supposed to do at this meeting but having someone he could talk to had seemed important to Harvey, so Mike was more than willing to give it a shot.

"Hello?" The sign said closed, but the door was open when Mike stepped inside, taking in the room around him, noticing little details that made up the whole, the way he usually did in new places. "The door was open; I'm looking for Lila Fisher." Mike was pretty sure he'd seen a horror movie start like this once, and he was just going to pretend that thought hadn't entered his mind just then. Harvey wouldn't send him somewhere to get killed.

Lila heard the door, quickly finishing wiping down the sink and drying her hands on the front of her apron before sliding it over her head and hanging it up. "You found her," she called back as she collected everything on the tray they'd need for tea and balancing it on her arm as she headed back out to the front.

When Harvey had asked her to talk to his friend, Lila had been confused. But once Harvey had started talking about Mike it was clear to her what was going on and honestly, she was thrilled for him. He was a good man and a good Master and he deserved to be happy. Although she was curious who had caught his eye.

Well she wouldn't have to be curious for much longer.

"Mike, hello, I'm Lila," she said as she put the tray down on one of the low tables where they could sit comfortably on some of the large cushions. Straightening up she took his hand, not really shaking it but holding it gently in hers for a moment. "It's lovely to meet you."

Mike wasn't exactly sure what he'd expected when Harvey had told him he had someone he wanted him to talk to, but the woman who greeted him was not what he'd expected at all. And Mike realized how much that image he had of Harvey had spread from just the man himself to the people he might or might not interact with outside the office.

"It's nice to meet you, too." He said, watching the way she took his hand in hers. "So you know Harvey, right?" He asked her, still caught at that point where he wasn't sure what he was supposed to say or ask or where to start.

"I do, Harvey is an old friend and a much older friend of my Master," she said gesturing to the table as she let his hand go. Taking a seat herself she simply smiled and waited to see if he'd do the same. "He's sat right here many times, he hates it, he says sitting on the floor is for children," Lila said with a warm smile.

Mike filed that away, adding it to the folder of information he was gathering about Lila. He was curious, but that was usually a constant state of being for Mike, though here with Lila he felt it more than he did most of the time. He'd only just met her and she had mentioned her Master. It was – well Mike didn't know what it was, he was still trying to understand all of this and people who just talked about Masters weren't really a part of his understanding just yet.

"You got Harvey to sit on the floor?" Mike asked, just a little disbelieving, pausing for just a moment before he sat too - he didn't mind the floor on principle the way Harvey no doubt did. "That does sound like Harvey."

"I got Harvey to sit on the floor, of course I never asked him to, that wouldn't have worked," Lila said with a laugh.

"You didn't kick his legs out from under him did you?" Mike asked, the weird image of Lila not asking but just making Harvey sit on the floor suddenly jumping into his mind, and then past his lips without his permission.

Lila laughed, shaking her head and grinning at Mike. "No, of course not. I told him people who don't sit, don't eat and that seemed to be enough. You'll understand when you taste my vegan curry."

Mike smiled, he thought he'd have liked to see Harvey sitting on the floor here just for a chance to have some vegan curry. Maybe he would one day.

"I don't really know how this is supposed to work." He admitted to her, legs folded beneath him, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "Harvey said it was important I have someone I could talk to, and he suggested I talk to you, but..." Mike trailed off not really sure how to frame his own doubts into actual words just yet.

Slowly pouring them both tea she added a little sugar and soy milk to hers and pushed a cup across the table to Mike. "It's alright to be nervous," she assured him, pushing her dreadlocks to one side. "We're just going to talk, tell some stories, drink some tea, you don't have to do anything, this isn't a test," Lila assured him, her voice calm and serene, but it almost always was.

He watched the way she poured the tea and then the way she fixed her own before he pulled his own cup closer, feeling the warmth of the tea through the ceramic of the cup against his palm and fingers. "Life is a test." Mike said pulling the quote from something he'd read, and then shaking his head. "Sorry, ignore me; I'm a little nervous about all of this." Though he suspected that much was painfully obvious by this point, subtlety had never been one of Mike's strong points – especially when he was nervous. "I'm sort of new to all of this, if Harvey didn't tell you."

Nodding she stirred her tea slowly, letting it cool off. "I really don't need Harvey telling me you're new to see that for myself, Mike," she said with an easy smile. "But look, I'm not going to call Harvey once you leave and tell him all about you and if you did the right thing, it's not like that. You and I are equals and it's not my right to judge you or make decisions for you. So there isn't a right answer or a wrong answer to anything we do here tonight. We're just talking." Lila assured him. "I'm sure there are things you'd like to ask me, about serving someone, about everything that's got you this tense."

Painfully obvious, Mike was sure that described him very accurately at the moment, but Lila didn't act like it was a problem, she just looked like maybe she understood a little bit of what he was feeling at the moment. Just talking though, he could handle just talking - he was pretty sure Harvey thought he might do a little too much talking occasionally, so really this should have been easy for him.

"How did you know?" Mike asked, blurted really when she suggested that he might have questions. "I mean - how did you know that serving someone was something you wanted to do? Do people just know these things about themselves?" And if they did, what did it say about Mike that it had taken Harvey sitting him down to see it?

Lila smiled, glad that Mike was off and asking her questions, it was progress. "I didn't, at first. When I was younger I got into trouble a lot, I just..." She faded off, taking a sip of her tea. "I wanted someone to see me, I wanted someone to look at me and need me, and I didn't want to be invisible. So I acted out, because even bad attention was better than none." Lila explained, fiddling with one of the beads at the bottom of one of her dreadlocks. "Then I started dating the wrong men, men that would hurt me and use me, because I felt worthless and I wanted to be treated that way, too." Lila's voice was steady, because even talking about things that had once been incredibly painful could no longer touch her anymore.

"I moved to the city with a man when I was sixteen and he cut me off from everything I knew, everyone I knew. He wouldn't let me have shoes or leave the apartment without him. He made me a prisoner and I still craved it, I still wanted him to tell me that I was worthy and loved. One day he came home from work and he was furious, not at me, just in general. I was cooking and he threw the hot pot of water on me," she said, pushing up her sleeves to show Mike the scars. "I was a mess, I was eighteen and I was terrified, I didn't have anything except a cruel man who thought that I was just a thing he could hurt and use and I still thought that everything was okay, because he made me feel like I'd never felt before, like I was whole." Lila paused, knowing it was best she just finish the story rather than wait for feedback. "I started doing research, in the middle of the night, I thought that maybe I was mentally ill, that's originally what I went looking for, but that's not what I found. I found a fetish website and feeling daring I sent a girl a message and just... Let it all out. She came and got me the next day and I never went back." Lila smiled and took another sip of her tea.

"I realized that everything I wanted didn't make me sick and it didn't mean I deserved to be treated like I'd let him treat me. It didn't make me weak, it made me strong. And then I just... thrived. It's like suddenly I was who I was always wanted to be and all the puzzle pieces fit together. Then I met Harvey and he introduced me to his friend Troy and it was like..." Lila paused, looking for the right words to describe it. "It was like fireworks. He looked at me and I couldn't fall to my knees fast enough. I found the place where I belong and I just knew, I knew and I'd always known, that's where I need to be," she finished, resting her chin in her hand.

"And I'm sorry, I got a little carried away there, but I thought the start is usually the best place to begin."

Mike just listened, while Lila told him her story - so much more than he'd been expecting almost to the point where Mike felt uncomfortable knowing so much about Lila all ready, while he hadn't really told her anything about himself.

And at the same time there were parts of her story that Mike recognized in himself.

That need to be seen, for attention of any kind, and letting that need lead to bad choices. His life hadn't taken him in the same direction Lila's had, but he'd have never ended up involved with drugs and taking tests for people who couldn't be bothered doing the work themselves to get into law school if not for that need – whether it was attention from Trevor or just the people who saw value in him for the skills he could provide. He could see a series of poor decisions that had lead him to Harvey and that point where things just clicked for him, like suddenly things were right for the first time in his life.

"The beginning is a good place to start." Mike agreed, fingers tapping against the side of his cup, while he thought for a moment.

"I didn't actually mean to ... to want any of this," Mike started. "I'm not sure if that's the right way to say it, it's kind of complicated. I think maybe it's something I've always wanted, I just didn't really know I wanted it, Harvey just brings it out in me, more than anyone else has before." And there had been others, Mike could see that now, Trevor most notably, though that was another case of neither one of them realizing what was happening. Trevor had simply been his friend and that was enough of an explanation for Mike.

He bit his lip not sure where he was going with this train of thought. "It's a little scary though, when I suddenly became aware of it and seeing the way it had worked into so much of how I interacted with Harvey without even realizing it, and I don't - it's like things wouldn't be right between us without that. Does that make sense? I feel like I'm just rambling without a point."

Lila smiled affectionately, nodding her head towards him. "No one means to, it's a part of you, even if it's a part you choose never to recognize, it won't ever go away." She said, hoping to reassure him a little bit.

"It can be scary and intense, but you're making perfect sense and you're only rambling a little bit," Lila said with a kind laugh, sipping her tea again. "He completes you," she said simply. "And that scares you, because you're not used to needing someone so much and you're scared that when it's gone, because everyone has always let you down, that you won't know what to do?" Lila suggested her voice quiet.

It was a little unfair, Mike thought, that Lila just seemed to understand him so easily when he was still struggling to understand himself. He nodded though, watching the way the tapping of his fingers made little ripples in his cup. "That's a sort of constant theme in my life." He agreed, things with his parents hadn't been easy at the best of times, and then they were gone, and the way people didn't really know what to do with him after they'd died, kids who had been his friends slipping away until he was left with only Trevor, but even Trevor was gone now.

"And I know it's not - maybe it would be better to not do this, the way he'd said at the start. We work together. Harvey is my boss and if something goes wrong, I'm not just going to lose him." It was going to be everything this time, the biggest and most spectacular loss he'd ever had in his life and Mike would know there had been a point where he could have stopped it. He could have taken the out Harvey had given him and let that be it. But he'd pushed, _he'd_ crossed the line and now all he could do was wait it out – wait for everything to work or everything to fall apart.

He breathed out slowly and looked at her, she was easy to talk to, something he hadn't expected - despite knowing the reason why Harvey had put them in contact with one another, and at the same time he felt like he hadn't known the right thing to say since he arrived. "I've messed up a lot in my life, and I don't just want this to be another addition to my list of failures."

Lila reached out, resting her hand on his sleeve, careful not to touch his skin, she had rules to follow. "Shhh," she whispered gently, trying to sooth him, but knowing there was probably only one person who could and he wasn't here. "You are not your mistakes and you are not your failures. You can't limit yourself because you're scared. Imagine if you never did anything you were afraid of, Mike. What would you have?" She asked, her head cocking to one side.

He nodded, understanding her point - he wouldn't have even met Harvey if he hadn't done things he was afraid of, he wouldn't be here now, and he wouldn't be in this hugely scary position. "I've spent a long time telling myself I'd never get the things I wanted from life, and now I'm in a place where the things I want and things I didn't even know I needed might actually be attainable," He exhaled in a rush shaking his head. "It's a little terrifying just how close I am to those things right now." And despite what he'd said to Harvey when he'd thought the other man was focusing only on the negative Mike found it was easier to see just how badly it could go than well.

"Do you do this often?" He asked her instead, trying to clear his head just a little. "Talk to people like me?"

The last thing Lila wanted was a nice boy like Mike to miss out on something that would probably be good for him, but more than that she didn't want Harvey and Mike to miss out on each other. "You need to relax, because all this tension is going to send you into an early grave," Lila told him gently.

"Sometimes," Lila admitted as she got to her feet, moving behind the front counter to open a jar and pull out two brownies, putting them on a plate and returning to Mike again. "Harvey is part of my... let's call them a family. He's dear to me and that makes you dear to me too, Mike." She smiled as she pushed the plate over to Mike. "Peanut butter and chocolate vegan deliciousness brownie, it'll help. It helps everything."

"Sorry," Mike apologized by rote and shook his head for a minute just trying to get a hold on himself and stop the way his thoughts were suddenly spiraling in a way that he couldn't seem to stop. He took a few slow breaths and thought briefly about Harvey, not about his fear and what it would be like to lose him, but he thought about that night when he'd gone to Harvey's apartment, thought about laying against Harvey's chest and the steady even tempo of his heartbeat, and Harvey's hand in his hair and he let that help bring everything back down several notches.

And when he was feeling just a little more ready to talk without borrowing trouble, Lila had returned offering him a brownie. "Thanks," where he'd mostly ignored the tea up to this point Mike broke of the corner of the brownie and ate it, sighing happily a moment latter and nodding. "Yeah," He agreed. "That helps."

"I'm glad, I think that there isn't anything that can't be fixed by food that is made with love," Lila said with a smile.

"Can I ask about that family?" He wondered.

When Mike asked about the family Lila nodded happily, leaning across the table to grab a large book off the shelf behind Mike. It was leather and soft and she set it down between them, opening to the first few pages. It was a scrapbook with lots of things stuck in, recipes, newspaper articles and she flipped past the first few pages towards the middle where there was a large group photo.

"This is Elle," Lila said, starting on the far left of the first row of the small group. "She's who I contacted that first time, when I needed help. She's not like you and I, she uses a scene as a release but would never answer to anyone in her day to day life. But she's perfect, you'll like her." Lila said with a fond smile. "That's Riley, me of course and Rob," she said as she finished the first row. "Now, this is Amy, but she'll ask you to call her Miss Amy, and Rob is hers, that's my Master," Lila pointed to the tall man with his finger wound around one of Lila's dreadlocks in the photo. "And of course Harvey," she finished, turning the book so he could get a better look at it.

Mike smiled, Lila reminded him just a little of Grammy, the way she set him at ease and food made with love - she was just a little more eclectic than his gran had ever been, at least as far as Mike knew, sometimes there was just no telling with her.

He looked at the people in the photo that Lila showed him, two familiar faces in the gathered group, while assigning names to the others gathered there. "And -" Mike tried to find the connection between them or what they must mean to each other without an obvious connection. "And the seven of you do what? I mean, you're - you share this stuff with each other?" Mike was just trying to understand it, "I don't know, Harvey told me I needed someone I could talk to about this, that you could be a life line, that I should be able to tell you about things, that's what the family is? Just on a bigger scale?"

Lila laughed again, giving a half shrug. "Sort of, but we don't just sit around talking about sex and bondage and what we did in the bedroom last night, any more than anyone else does." Lila explained. "Harvey sent you here because he knows how hard it can be to be alone, to feel things that you don't feel like you can tell anyone. Because he hopes that if something is happening you don't like that you feel like you can't tell him, you'll tell me and I'll help you. The family is like that, but more than that, they're a _family_."

Pausing she flipped through the book a few more pages. "This is when Elle got her promotion, this is when Rob graduated med school," Lila pointed out more photos, hoping they'd help explain. Flipping back to near the start she smiled at a photo of her and Harvey, when she'd still been a teenager. "This was the day that Harvey won my case, get me a settlement because of my burns and that meant I could buy this place. It was only Elle, Harvey, Amy and I then and we drank champagne right here, although I've done a lot of work since then."

"So you don't sit around talking about sex and bondage with them, but we're meant to?" Mike said and then shook his head, that didn't sound right either and instead he let her tell him more about her family, his imagination was running on overdrive tonight while he was there with Lila.

Lila laughed and nodded her head when Mike seemed even more confused. "We're meant to talk about anything you want to talk about, I think Harvey picked me because a whole group is intimidating, but one person is easier."

Mike nodded, thinking about how he might have reacted if faced with the entire group this first night and decided one person was definitely best.

Looking back to Mike she pushed the book closer to him, leaving him free to look through it. "Are you starting to understand?"

He started flipping through the book of photos when Lila pushed it toward him, seeing events shared between the people in the first picture. Harvey with these people, a whole life separate from what Mike had thought was all Harvey had.

"Starting too." Mike nodded slowly, not completely but as a start. Mike rubbed a hand over his face.

"I can come back, right? I mean after tonight?" Mike asked. "I just have a feeling I'm not going to be getting to everything I really do want to know about tonight." It was all just a lot to take in and Mike knew himself well enough to know how distracted he was.

"You can come back every day if you want to, Mike. Even if it's just for the brownies. I live upstairs so I'm around a lot." Lila said as she gently closed the book.

He chuckled softly and nodded. "I doubt I'd be able to come every day, they keep me kind of busy at the firm - but I'd like to come back." He told her. "It's been a while since I've had someone I can really talk to." He couldn't imagine talking about this to anyone that he knew all ready, just knowing that he and Lila had a shared connection that helped.

"I was trying to think about what kind of wisdom I could impart to you, but I'm not an expert either," she said, finishing off her tea. "But this is the most important advice anyone ever gave me and it's something I always want you to remember. A Dom has the control, but a sub has the power. No matter what happens, you have the power and you choose to give someone else the control. You are not weak, Mike. You're strong and you should never feel like being a submissive makes you lower than the other people you live your life beside."

He didn't feel weak, perhaps briefly when he only felt confusion about all of this, but when he was with Harvey weakness was not what he felt. It just felt right, it felt comfortable, and it felt right. "But some people will think that, whether or not I feel it." And that was why he thought it might be best that it was Lila he was talking to about all of this and not someone else.

* * *

They were probably on scotch number five and it was moments like this Harvey realized he didn't just like Ray, he loved him. Because it didn't matter that it was close to midnight, he wouldn't have to stand on the street, tipsy as hell and try to hail a cab that would probably smell like a urinal.

Running his thumb across the lip of the glass he sighed, glancing around the apartment that really looked so much like his own it was kind of uncanny. Maybe this was what minimal Harvard style looked like.

"This is when you're supposed to tell me that I'm a crazy idiot for even thinking about doing this," Harvey said, rubbing his forehead as he leaned back in the comfortable chair.

Jonathan shook his head, sitting across from Harvey a small smirk turning up the corners of his mouth. "Oh, and here I thought that you being a crazy idiot was a well-established fact, my friend."

"No, the idea perhaps, but I think you'll have to do far worse for that to apply to yourself, Harvey." He assured his friend simply. "You're not the first man to consider such a thing." He told him, "And men in positions far higher than your own have managed it just fine. Now don't sit here and tell me Harvey Specter of all people has found something he can't accomplish." Jonathan doubted very much there was anything that Harvey couldn't accomplish if he really put his mind to it - you didn't get to that position without the ability to put in the work.

"You need rules, not just for him, but for yourself as well, unless they've gotten much more relaxed about the relationships between Senior Partners and their associates at Pearson Hardman than I remember." He chuckled.

This was why he'd come to see Jonathan, instead of his closest friends. Because he got it, he knew what he was working through and Harvey trusted him. He sipped his drink as he nodded along with what the other man was saying. "If it was just fucking, it would be different, but it's harder to be discrete with this, with Mike Ross who looks like a damn puppy at least half the time," Harvey rolled his eyes at himself.

"You never could resist puppies." Jonathan, could see the way Harvey rolled his eyes, and couldn't help but be amused on his friend's behalf.

Harvey smiled into his glass, nodding slowly; he'd always had a weakness for a lost puppy. But even then it hadn't been anything like this.

"Yeah, I know, rules are going to be what keeps us afloat, Donna's already noticed and Jessica is too smart not to catch on. But as long as she only suspects she doesn't _know_ , it won't matter." Harvey said, thinking out loud. "So the obvious, no touching at work, then I pretty much draw a blank."

Jonathan nodded listening as Harvey spoke, considering this situation his friend was getting himself into. "No touching is probably a decent place to start, though I suspect if this kid is as eager as you say he is you're not going to be able to keep it out of the work place entirely no matter how much you might like to."

"I think it might be good for you both, to find the lines that can and cannot be crossed there, to make a point when you're out of the office to touch and give him that when you can." Harvey was right, this entire situation would be entirely different if fucking was all it involved, but if that was the case the Jonathan doubted very much Harvey would even be considering his associate.

"Damn kid," Harvey said with a sigh, rubbing his creased forehead. "It's just totally ingrained into everything we do and it was so slow to start I didn't even notice what I was doing and now here we are," Harvey knew they'd be okay at work as long as they could control themselves and he'd have to just teach Mike some self-control as well.

"And here we are indeed." Jonathan rubbed a hand over his chin briefly nodding while he considered the situation in which Harvey now found himself.

It was interesting to see Harvey like this, the man who had up to this point never let himself have a more involved relationship - there had always been a reason of course, Harvard first, and then all the hours he put in each week as an associate at Pearson Hardman, and then working his way up the ranks, and the timing, there was always something. And now here he was seemingly taken by surprise by this kid, Jonathan might have to make an exception to their rule of limited visits during the year to meet this boy. "I've no doubt you'll figure something out for the office, or the car."

"I suppose the car could be a safe zone, it's just Ray and well, he's seen a lot more than I'd like to admit," Harvey said with a dark chuckle.

"You haven't started any training with him yet, have you?" Jonathan asked, glancing at Harvey over the rim of his glass.

"No, no. Most I've done is grab his damn hand when he was jiggling around driving me crazy and command eye contact a few times. I've held him, too." Putting his glass down on the table he splashed a little more scotch into it, bracing his elbows on his thighs as he stared into the carpet. "I sent him to Lila a few days ago, setting up a support network before we start anything."

"Perhaps it's time to start training then, you know a few positive or negative reinforcements can do wonders for establishing boundaries at the start." He reminded Harvey. He wasn't surprised to hear that Harvey had sent Mike to see Lila, she was a lovely young woman and would do the boy some good to have a support of his own before things went much further with Harvey. "And how did that go? If you're as enamored of him as you seem to be I'll bet she adored him."

"I've been holding back, waiting for the right time, but now that we've talked and he's met Lila I'm going to start taking things slow, you know the pace I like to work at," Harvey said as he finished the remainder of his drink and set it on the table. "It's times like these I wish we'd never quit smoking," he said, stretching his neck. "Lila? I'm lucky Mike's not Troy's type or she'd probably have talked him into trying to take him off my hands," he said with a grin. "She loved him; he'll put on 15 pounds by the time she's done loving him, too."

Jonathan nodded, but slow was best in this case - for them both perhaps, to allow Mike the time to really understand what he had asked for and Harvey to find a way to navigate that line between professional and personal that still ran between them. "You could always start again, though I suspect you'll find something far more appealing to satisfy that oral fixation of yours before too long." He smirked. And he was entirely unsurprised to hear about Lila, yes he was definitely going to have to make time to meet Mike Ross.

Jonathan helped put Harvey at ease, he was a powerful man, with his own firm and Harvey respected him and his opinion. So for the other man not to tell him he was crazy to do this was endlessly reassuring. "Very funny, I always knew you were a better comedian than you are a lawyer, unfortunate for you, but true."

"Talk to him; make sure he understands, you'll be fine Harvey. I have complete faith in your ability to handle this." Jonathan assured his friend, leaning across the space between them to squeeze Harvey's knee briefly.

Placing his hand over Jonathan's on his knee he gave a slow nod. "I'll be relying on you to give him a job if everything falls apart, my friend," Harvey said, giving his hand a squeeze.

"Don't be so dramatic Harvey, you're supposed to be the realist of the two of us." Jonathan said, but nodded all the same. "It'll be fine, but I'll be more than happy to take him off Pearson Hardman's hands should that become necessary."

Smiling at Jonathan he tipped his glass in his direction. "Just remember, I don't share," he said with a laugh.

"You wound me, Harvey. I know how to keep my hands to myself." Jonathan laughed, balancing his own glass on his knee.

"I should go, I want to go over there before he falls asleep in a giant pile of paperwork," Harvey said, easing himself out of his chair.

Jonathan got to his feet with Harvey. "Bring him by sometime, I can tell him how I knew it would work out from the start." He told Harvey, grinning easily before he nodded in the direction of the door. "Go see your boy."

Harvey led the way to the door, giving Jonathan a quick tight hug when they reached it. "I'll bring him by only to rub it in, my friend," he said with a smile as he pulled away.

"I'll see you in court, I'm sure." Harvey added as he stepped out of the penthouse and headed towards the elevator.

* * *

Mike was trying, really he was, but it felt like the more he tried the worse things got. He hadn't expected Jenny that night, when he'd set himself up on the couch with half a cold pizza and a few beers and way too many briefs to go through that night. But she'd shown up at his door all the same, and he hadn't had the heart to just ask her to leave.

That was his first mistake.

The second came when she tried to kiss him, and Mike had startled practically falling onto the floor while Jenny looked at him like he'd lost his mind. She'd asked him what was wrong, and he'd had two choices, he could have come up with some sort of half-truth to tell her, something about Trevor maybe, or he could tell her the truth.

It had started innocently enough, he was involved with someone else, it was all still new and he didn't want to jeopardize it, there were certain expectations, and after that it had devolved into his ridiculous habit of offering dictionary definitions and expecting people to follow along with him in the course of the conversation, like the rest of the world just carried around the dictionary in their heads the way he did.

"Look, Jenny - this, us … it was a bad idea at the start, and it's an even worse idea now. I can't - I'm not just a replacement for Trevor." He told her, shaking his head. "I want you to be happy, I want you to find someone who actually loves you the way you deserve to be loved, but that's not going to be me."

"Will you just - you can stay and we can talk if you want, but we can't do that." He was trying, really he was, she was the one friend he had left, the one person who had seen him at some of the worst points in his life now that Trevor was gone, and losing her all together wasn't something he could even consider.

She really hadn't come here to make a move on him or anything, Jenny was just lonely and miserable and Mike was funny and nice and always made her feel better about things. But it just so happened that when he was making her feel better he was also really cute and she wanted him. They wanted each other, what was wrong with that?

But it turned out Mike didn't want her and then had started talking and hadn't stopped and Jenny had no idea what he was talking about. So he was seeing someone, but that had to be a new things and she just didn't understand the problem, not when they were as close as they were.

"You're not a replacement, Mike," Jenny said, sliding onto the floor to sit beside him. "You could never be just a replacement," she added, reaching out to run her hand slowly over his chest.

"I don't understand, is it that Rachel girl from your work?" Jenny asked, brow furrowed as she tried to move closer to him.

Mike pushed himself back slowly, he didn't want her to get the wrong idea, but her hand on his chest and her so close - all he could think about was Harvey's rule. "No, no, no it's not Rachel." No that, Mike was well aware, was not going anywhere, he and Rachel were far better friends than they ever would have been as anything else, and he wasn't about to damage that relationship trying to make it more – he'd given up on that long before he'd ever considered anything with Harvey.

"Can you stop? The touching I mean, please." Mike asked, because his only other option was walking away from her and he didn't think that would help matters. "You're my friend Jenny, you know that right? I want to keep that. I want to be your friend, but I can't give you anything more than that."

Jenny's forehead creased and she looked down at her knees wondering why all of a sudden Mike would rather do anything but have her near him. "We're friends, yes, but we've always been more than that, Mike, come on," she said, but she kept her hands to herself.

"Just... Who is she? We're friends and you haven't mentioned anyone to me, told me about any dates, how am I supposed to know you've just, gone and found someone else," Jenny said, her words letting on how hurt she was.

They had all always been more than just friends, Mike had always thought about the three of them as something like a family, the dysfunctional sort of support system he needed while his life had fallen apart around him.

He sighed, hearing the hurt in her words - he should have told her, especially with how things had been between them after Trevor left. She should have known, rather than finding out like this. "Not a she." He told her, watching her face while he spoke. "I should have told you, you're right. This is all just really new for me too and I'm still trying to figure it out myself, I didn't want to tell anyone about it when I didn't know exactly what to say."

"It's Harvey." He told her. "There haven't really been any dates, or you know anything really - not yet, but eventually..." Mike shrugged, though dates was not a term he would have applied to Harvey.

Jenny's jaw dropped and she was speechless for at least a minute, looking at Mike like he was insane. "Not a she. You're, you're..." She looked horrified as she stood up, putting the coffee table between them.

"So not only are you fucking _gay_ but you're fucking your boss? Mike, that's just... Pathetic." She said, her arms crossing over her chest. "Are you that insecure? That you let some older guy take advantage of you at work? That's so gross, Mike." Jenny said, wiping her hands on her skirt like she was trying to get the feeling of Mike off them. She knew she was being harsh, but she was hurt and confused and Mike was just... Not the person she'd thought he was.

"Jenny." Mike couldn't stand that look on her face any more than the words she said, each one sharp and cutting. "It's not like that, he's not taking advantage of me, I asked for this." He wanted her to understand, wanted her to be able to see that this was going to be good for him. "Please just, sit okay? We can talk about it - it's okay, I promise." He hadn't thought she'd throw herself at him and be completely happy about this news but the way she'd gotten up so fast, called him pathetic, Mike hadn't been prepared for that and he didn't know how to deal with it now.

Maybe the conversations he'd had with Lila since that night they had met had given him some sort of unrealistic expectations about all of this. He was used to the way Lila seemed to understand him, even when Mike felt like he wasn't making any sense, and he'd felt like maybe some of that would carry over to dealing with others. But looking at Jenny he could see how wrong he'd been. "Please, Jen."

Jenny was flustered, she hated surprises and this was the biggest one of her life. "You asked for it? Damn it Mike, you're smart and talented, you don't need to fuck some creepy old lawyer to get a good job," she said, shaking her head but taking a hesitant step back towards him. Jenny had always loved Mike, thought she'd known everything about him but this just seemed too much.

Taking a deep breath she sat on the arm of the couch, facing him, her bottom lip between her lips so she wouldn't lash out. "Okay, Mikey. Explain, make this seem like it's not the most wrong thing I've ever heard. What would your gran say if she knew you were doing something like that with a guy?" Jenny said, shaking her head and looking down at her knees.

Mike breathed out a sigh of relief that Jenny hadn't just left, she didn't sound like she was going to be convinced but she was still there - and that meant that Mike could try to explain this to her. She could hear his side of it and they could figure it out. He told himself it was going to be okay.

"I'm not doing _anything_ with him yet, Jenny." He told her slowly, he wasn't going to touch the question of Grammy because that was low even if Jenny was upset. "I told you it's only just started, and it's not about my job - I got this job because I'm amazing, because I have the skills to be a great lawyer and Harvey saw that. All of this," He gestured vaguely, sitting down at the opposite end of the couch, because Jenny might still be there with him, but he didn't think she was ready for him to be close just yet, "isn't about that."

And then he thought about how to explain it to her, this inexorable connection he had with Harvey that he had been unable to deny no matter how hard he'd tried. "Harvey understands me Jen," He started. "Better than anyone I've ever known, and he can give me the things I need in a relationship, and I can give him things too and … we just work. This thing between us is right, and I want to be his."

Jenny just couldn't believe what she was hearing. The more Mike explained the more she hated it, the more it made her feel worse and when Mike finished she just looked at him like he'd told her that he wanted to cut off his own hands for the fun of it.

"I should be hurt about the fact you think he understands you better than I do, but you know what? I'm not," Jenny stood up, looking down at Mike with a shrug. "I don't know what has got in to you, but I hate it," she said bitterly, her eyes a little bit watery. "You want to be his? What's wrong with you, Mike? Aren't you supposed to be a man? Because a real man doesn't want to belong to someone," she practically spat, already opening her mouth to begin her next tirade when the front door swung open.

Harvey had heard more than enough from the hall and he made a mental note to remember how thin these walls were. "This is New York, you should know to lock your door," he said, his voice deathly calm but the rage was coming off him in waves as he slowly shut the door behind him. Having just finished his drink with Jonathan this was the last thing he'd been expecting when he turned up at Mike's but it seemed like the perfect time to cut in.

Fixing his eyes on Mike's he gave a little tilt of his head, the _come here_ remaining unsaid but the point remaining.

Harvey's sudden appearance in his apartment was both the best and the worst thing at that moment, because Mike wanted to handle this one his own, he wanted to be able to tell Jenny that she was wrong and show her why, and at the same time seeing Harvey there was the biggest relief.

He was on his feet without really thinking about it at that tilt of Harvey's head, the meaning clear despite the lack of verbal cues. Though somewhere along the path between Harvey and Jenny Mike seemed to realize it wasn't just Harvey in the room with him, and he couldn't help the way his eyes cut to Jenny, his steps faltering just slightly though he didn't stop until he was standing with Harvey.

If Harvey had been angry before it was nothing compared to when Mike took his eyes off him and looked at her. Looked at her like he was seeking the direction only Harvey was ever supposed to provide. But he held it in, he was good at that. His hand settled on the back of Mike's neck, lips pressing momentarily against his temple.

"Ohmygod," Jenny whispered under her breath, looking between them with a mixture of shock and disgust on her face. In fact she felt sick to her stomach after what she'd just seen. "Mike, don't stay here, you can come home with me, it will be alright," she said, looking at Harvey like he was a sex offender, which she was half sure he was.

He just wanted her to understand, to see that this wasn't something that was being forced on him, and it wasn't the offensive thing she seemed to think it was. "Jenny." He shook his head; he didn't know how to make her understand. "It's alright, Jen. I told you, _I asked_ for this." He told her again.

"I want to be here, with Harvey." The longer this went on though, the more Mike thought that maybe it wouldn't work out as easily as he'd hoped it would. Jenny was supposed to be his friend but the way she was looking at him, at the pair of them, didn't fit with that definition. "I'm happy here, Jen. Can't you accept that? This is what makes me happy." He was just this side of pleading with her to see his point, but it was a close thing.

Harvey knew that look and he knew that all of Mike's reasoning wasn't going to accomplish anything he wanted it to. But Harvey was going to let him try and he didn't get between them, even though every reflex told him to, to end this and protect what was his from coming to any harm. He simply let his thumb stroke Mike's neck, fixing Jenny with his coldest glare.

Seeing the couple together made her stomach churn, there was something so wrong in the way that Mike got up and ran to him because he tilted his arrogant head, in the way Harvey touched Mike without any trace of real affection, just what looked like ownership. It was just wrong and that didn't start to cover the fact they were both men. "Mike, you're so fucking naive, you let this hot shot lawyer give you a job and all he wants is your self-respect in return? He's sick and you're-"

But Harvey wasn't letting this continue, he'd heard enough. "Get out," he said, cutting her off in her tirade and ignoring the way she looked to Mike to undermine what he'd just said. "No, I said get out," Harvey said, stepping between the two and towering over Jenny easily.

"You can't tell me what to do, I'm not scared of you. What you're doing is fucked up and I'm sure would cost you your job, I should walk into your office tomorrow and get you fired for what you're doing," Jenny was practically shouting, her cheeks bright red.

Harvey looked down at her for a moment before giving a short, cold laugh. "You are a pathetic child and I don't have time for children." He growled, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "You go into my office tomorrow? I will destroy you. It's that simple. I will find every single mistake you've ever made, every dirty photo you've ever taken, every tiny little comment you've ever made about anyone and I will ruin your life with it." His voice was calm but his eyes were practically burning with freezing fury.

Mike could only stand there and listen to the pair of them, the way Jenny refused to listen and the way Harvey told her to get out, and then the threats. He didn't want Harvey to go after Jenny, because he had no doubt that he could very easily destroy anything good she had in her life and while she might be refusing to be understanding about all of this she was still his friend.

But more than he didn't want Harvey to ruin Jenny, the thought that she might go to their office and tell someone what they were doing made his blood run cold. The idea that she might try to hurt Harvey in all of this made him feel sick.

"Jenny-" He started, stepping to the side, to see around the wall Harvey made standing in front of him. "I think you should go. You don't have to like this, and you don't have to accept it, but you owe me the respect to let me make my own decisions about my life." He told her, without that pleading tone he'd used before, because this wasn't about getting her understanding this was about protecting what was his. "After all we've both had to deal with through Trevor I think you of all people would understand that." He reminded her.

"If you want to talk later, actually talk - not to tell me I'm pathetic and wrong, and not to insult Harvey then you can call me. And if not then maybe this should be it." He told her slowly, he hated to even suggest it, to make this possibly be the last time he saw her, but Mike couldn't let her hurt them, and he couldn't deal with trying to convince her while she refused to listen again and again either. Maybe this was the only way.

Harvey settled when he heard the shift in Mike's tone and he stepped back a little bit, seeing as he now seemed like he was in the right place to take charge of the situation. He had to admit he loved hearing Mike talk about them, so proud and sure, it made him realize they were doing the right thing. This felt right.

Jenny was scared, she couldn't help it, Harvey was intimidating and there was something in his tone that made her realize he wasn't reaching. He really could hurt her and that really made the idea of turning them in seem much less appealing. Looking between the two men she grabbed her handbag off the table and slung it over her shoulder, storming through the small space and past Mike to the door. "I don't want to talk until you've come to your senses," she said with a cold glare. "Don't you tell your gran, it'd fucking kill her," Jenny added before she threw the door open and stormed down the hall.

Hearing Jenny mention Mike's gran made something in Harvey snap and he turned sharply, ready to follow her down the hallway and shake her until she took it back.

Just when Mike thought maybe he could relax, though how he would ever relax again after that he wasn't sure, Harvey was turning toward the door - like he was going to follow after Jenny. And Mike knew that would only end badly, he moved put himself between the open door and Harvey, hands up in front of him pressed against Harvey's chest, and kicking out to catch the door with a foot and do his best to close it without moving away from Harvey. "Don't - please don't." He didn't know what Harvey had planned to do, but Mike knew he needed to keep him there.

"Stay here, please, stay with me." He let himself lean into Harvey, pressing his forehead against Harvey's shoulder, letting himself have just a moment there. Just a moment to breathe again, and push past that heavy painful feeling that had settled in him from that first look of disgust Jenny had given him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry for - all of that. I shouldn't have told her anything." And he really did have no one to blame but himself, he could have found something else to tell her, but he hadn't wanted to lie to her, he'd stupidly wanted her to be happy for him, he wanted someone who was his friend first to know about this.

Harvey was so focused on Jenny that he was almost surprised when Mike stepped in front of him, making his reassess what he'd been intent on doing. He'd been about to tell Mike never to tell him what to do, but he couldn't, not with him pleading with him like that. Harvey hesitated for another moment before placing one hand in Mike's hair and the other in between his shoulder blades and pulling him in.

"Don't be sorry," Harvey said softly, letting out a long sigh. "You were just trying to talk to a friend, it's not your fault," he whispered, lips pressing against Mike's hairline. "Do I have to ask?" Harvey said, unable to continue on without knowing if Mike had broken their rule here with Jenny.

Mike just let himself lean into Harvey when he was pulled closer, that feeling of Harvey's hands on him again helping to make things right again, despite the way he could feel his heart beating just a bit too fast, and breathing just a little faster than normal. He wanted to stay there for the rest of the night, but Harvey's question made it impossible for him.

He lifted his face, he could have spoken into Harvey's shirt, muffled the answer putting off what would be inevitable disappointment just a little longer. "She tried to kiss me," He told Harvey. "It's what started all of this."

Harvey's chest burned and he really wanted to go after Jenny again, but this time in a way that was going to involve much more than a shaking. "The rule was that you don't touch and if someone touches you then I'll deal with them, it's not your fault she tried to kiss you," Harvey said gently, placing both hands on Mike's arms and holding him still while he stepped away.

Shrugging off his jacket he hung it over the back of the couch before he made himself comfortable. "Come here, boy," he said quietly, glancing down at his lap before he looked back at Mike.

If it hadn't been for the hands stopping him Mike would have ended following Harvey, no doubt. But he'd waited, standing where Harvey left him until he called for him again. After that conversation (though conversation was not the right word at all) with Jenny, Mike needed to be close to Harvey, he needed the reassurance of Harvey beside him and touching him again. He still felt wound tight, nerves and frustration and hurt feelings still whirling around in his veins

He moved easily though, despite the conflicting emotions warring inside of him and interpreted that look at Harvey's lap to mean that was where he should sit, and given how he was feeling Mike didn't need any further excuse for that.

Mike was a natural, Harvey actually couldn't believe how much of one sometimes. They were just perfectly in tune and all it took was a look or a few words or a glance to get Mike where he wanted him. Mike's training really had already started despite what he'd told Jonathan.

With his boy settled in his lap he was finally able to relax, even if his heart was still beating a little too fast in his chest and not because of how good this felt. Harvey sighed, wrapping his arms loosely around Mike as he looked into his eyes. "You are doing so well, Mike, just so damn good," he said quietly, giving him a little smile. "I'm so proud of you for standing up for yourself, for saying no to her," Harvey continued, squeezing the back of Mike's neck.

As good as it felt to hear Harvey tell him he was good, that Harvey was proud of him, this didn't feel like a victory to him. Not like the sort of win that came from knowing he'd found the right loop hole, the one mistake in fifteen hundred pages of bylaws, or the bit of information that could help their clients, or help Harvey achieve his goals. This was Jenny, this was his friend and she was just gone.

"She wouldn't even listen." Mike said after a moment, when it felt like he wasn't going to fall apart over this. "We've been friends for years, and she wouldn't even listen." She'd rather leave than let him be happy with this, just like everyone else had done. After Trevor she was his oldest friend and it felt like that was slipping away from him too. This, what he had with Harvey, even if they were still just barely scratching the surface was too much a part of what Mike was and what he wanted to let her try and take that from him, but it hadn't made it any easier to tell her to leave.

It was really hard for Harvey for his reassurance not to be enough, not that he was expecting it would be, but it made him feel useless and Harvey Specter wasn't good at feeling helpless in any situation. He just wanted to shield Mike from everything, he knew he couldn't but it felt like his responsibility to stop anything from touching him or upsetting him like this.

"I know, kid," Harvey said softly, letting his head drop back so he was looking at the ceiling. "She's naive and immature, Mike." He said as he stroked his hand softly up and down his boy's back.

Looking up he considered Mike's face for a moment before he cleared his throat. "Would you like me to go?" Harvey asked softly, withdrawing his hands from where they were settled on Mike. "Just because you agreed to this doesn't mean we can't stop, whenever you want."

Mike was tense, but Harvey's hand on his back helped, too much had happened tonight, too much had happened recently and he was still trying to figure out how it all worked. Adding this mess with Jenny only reminded Mike that things were changing, and while they were changes he wanted - changes that felt right, it was moving him further and further away from the life he'd had before he'd met Harvey.

"No." Mike said quickly, all his attention snapping back to Harvey and the present, "Don't go." He would have to eventually, but not yet, Mike wasn't ready for that. Not when it all felt just a little too tender still. "I don't want to stop, I tried to tell Jenny that - this, you, what we could do all of this feels right, for the first time things feel like they're supposed to. I don't want to stop."

Harvey nodded slowly, wrapping his arms around Mike and pulling him down into his chest in hopes that he'd relax. "Okay," he said softly, giving a big sigh. "I don't want to stop either, Mike. In fact, I want to start. I've been drinking and you're not in the headspace right now, but I thought I could stay the night and tomorrow we could start fresh," Harvey said, his fingers slowly trailing up and down Mike's spine.

Mike felt like he could breathe just a bit more easily when Harvey told him he didn't want to stop either - Mike wasn't sure he'd have been able to stand it if he had. But Harvey didn't want to stop, he wanted to start, and that made something inside of Mike twist eagerly - even if tonight wasn't the right night for it.

"You want to stay the night?" He asked slowly, pausing over the very idea. "You want to stay the night _here_?" Because it was strange enough having Harvey in his home, but Harvey staying too - it was threatening to break some part of his brain as he tried to wrap his mind around it.

Harvey laughed, looking into Mike's eyes either a lingering smile. "I want to stay the night, is that so hard to believe? It's late and I don't want to bundle you off to my place and bother Ray again. Plus this is your comfort zone and if we're going to start anything tomorrow, it should be here," Harvey explained, rubbing his thumb over a tense muscle in Mike's shoulder. "Would you rather I didn't?"

Okay, so Harvey had a point and the idea was less completely baffling than it had been a moment before. The idea of it was still a little strange but he could see the reasoning behind it, rather than just some random thought with no explanation behind it. "No, I want you to stay, I just-" He exhaled, and shrugged curling his fingers against the back of his own neck rubbing slowly. "It's not something I'd ever considered before, is all." It made all of this much more real than it had been before too, it wasn't just a conversation to be continued at a later date - or a lingering glance at the office, this was Harvey in his personal and private space and Mike definitely wanted that.

"Nothing is going to happen tonight," Harvey assured him, sliding his fingers under Mike's chin to angle his head up. "Just sleep, together hopefully, although I'm not totally opposed to the couch," he said gently. Even when he was upset, Mike was still alluring and Harvey wanted a way to make him feel better and a way to show him how much he cared and it was really long overdue.

Leaning in Harvey kissed him gently, lips seeming to slot together perfectly as Harvey pulled Mike to him.

Mike went easily when Harvey pulled him closer. He hadn't expected the kiss, not when Harvey had told him nothing was going to happen, having Harvey there made him want something to happen, he was more than content simply having Harvey there - touching him.

It was a simple thing to be kissed by Harvey and let him be the one to control it, so many times in his life Mike had been overeager, and pressed for more too quickly, but here - this was so new that Mike could only let himself be kissed. And it helped; it made him relax, like he was melting into Harvey and forgetting about everything else that had happened during the day and evening before this moment.

Breathing just a little faster when Harvey did pull away, Mike licked his lips, still leaning into Harvey. "I don't want you to sleep on the couch." He told him quietly as he had to almost physically stop himself from initiating another kiss, dropping his forehead to Harvey's shoulder, hiding his face against the side of his neck and breathing in that scent that was purely Harvey.

It felt amazing to kiss Mike, even just for a few moments, having his lap full of the boy he wanted and feeling that delicious tension between them slowly start to magnify and get more and more intense. Harvey knew by the time he gave Mike exactly what he wanted the boy would be half crazy with want and that was just how he wanted it.

"Then let's go to bed, have you got something I can wear that is going to fit someone who's got a larger build than a fourteen year old?" Harvey asked, chuckling softly and burying his fingers in Mike's hair.

"You're so hilarious." Mike said, despite his words his tone was affectionate, torn between pressing into the fingers in his hair and the warmth of Harvey's neck. "Seriously, you should consider a career change, the best comedian in the city."

He felt better, just having Harvey there, and though things had spiraled out of control with Jenny after Harvey arrived Mike couldn't help but be glad that Harvey had come all the same.

* * *

When he woke up the next morning, Harvey was sprawled out on his stomach, hand resting possessively on Mike's lower back. It took a few moments for Harvey to stretch out and remember everything that had taken place the night before. Some of it had been good and of course some had been horrible but it had ended up just how he wanted it, with Mike beside him.

Sliding out of Mike's bed he was well practiced at being quiet, plus apparently his body clock got him up much earlier than the boy's. Harvey checked his email as he searched Mike's cupboards and found absolutely nothing that he liked at all. So he was left with no choice but to redress in his clothes from the day before, steal Mike's keys and get up to the deli on the corner.

So when he arrived back at Mike's apartment he was armed with coffee, bagels, lox and cream cheese, everything needed for a Saturday morning. Plus he'd walked past one of those horrible chain clothing stores and been able to at least buy himself something clean to wear.

For Mike, Saturdays were sacred - oh he might work on a Saturday, but he always let himself sleep in. Particularly since he never got to sleep past 5:30 during the week thanks to certain law firms and Senior Partners who seemed to think he was late if he wasn't in before 7. So Saturdays were the days he let himself sleep in.

He'd slept soundly the night before, so much better than he normally did, or at least it felt like it when he woke slowly. Mike could certainly pass out anywhere he found himself, but to get truly restful sleep he preferred a bed, a warm body beside him was simply a bonus.

Though the thought of a warm body, pulled him from that sleepy haze he'd been floating in and frowning finding the space beside him empty.

Sleeping with Harvey had been better than Mike had realized it would be, the way Harvey touched him throughout the night, and just that feeling of not being alone. It was good. Waking up alone though, was anything but.

Pulling himself out of bed, Mike didn't bother with getting dressed, not yet at least, he might reconsider that if Harvey proved to have disappeared. But in the end, he needn't have worried - finding Harvey in his kitchen apparently deciding that the cereal and bread Mike usually kept around for breakfast weren't going to cut it.

"Anyone ever told you, you get up too early?" Mike asked Harvey, cocking his hip and leaning against the counter, rubbing a hand through already sleep mussed hair, and yawning.

Hearing the movement in the other room he had to praise Mike's timing, why didn't it surprise him that with coffee and a bag of food around the boy was out of his sleep-coma? Pulling out plates and knives he stretched his shoulders, a little stiff after sleeping in a foreign bed that probably wasn't the best for his back.

"Early? I'd usually have gone to the gym and be showered and dressed by now, this is late," Harvey said with a smile, reaching out so his hand could follow Mike's through his hair.

"It's Saturday," Mike protested because no matter what Harvey said this was early, even during the week this was early as far as Mike was concerned. But then there was coffee, it was so close and his attention was split between Harvey and the cups, and the hour wasn't quite so important.

"So? Clearly you're not busy enough if you think this is early, Mike," he teased, knowing that if he was working the kind of hours Mike was he'd be taking all the sleep he could get. He'd been through the same thing after all.

Grabbing one of the coffees he handed it to Mike before he went back to unpacking the food. "Bagel?" He offered as he sliced one open for himself. "Or you can stick with the moldy end of bread you've got growing all kinds of organisms in the pantry," Harvey said with a smirk.

He wrinkled his nose at the mention of his bread - he didn't think it was that far gone yet, but stale bread against a bagel Mike knew what he was going to pick every time. "I'll save the bread for later in the week." He decided with his own smirk, though god it was too early for smirking.

Harvey made a face as he cut open a second bagel and put it on the other plate. "Not sure what you like, I'm a lox and cream cheese guy myself, but I got some ham and swiss cheese as well," Harvey said as he finished emptying the bag and folded it up, setting it aside to give him more space.

But Mike just looked so dopey and sleepy and that was endearing as hell so maybe he got a little distracted, sliding his hand around to cup the back of the boy's neck and pull him in for a gentle kiss. "Good morning, by the way. You snore and you kick, you're a real treasure."

It was funny how whole lines of thought just seemed to sort of disappear from his mind completely when Harvey was around, particularly when Harvey was kissing him. He followed Harvey's lips even when he pulled away, a sleepy smile working its way across his lips. "Morning." He said before really grinning. "I do not snore, and yes I am." He wouldn't say anything about the kicking because he'd woken up tangled in his sheets often enough to suspect that might actually be true.

"So after bagels and coffee what is on the agenda for the day?" Mike asked, hopefully more kissing because that seemed like a very good place to start.

After he'd finished making sure the bagel looked perfect he leaned back against the counter, looking over at Mike with more than a little heat in his eyes. He was sober, Mike was feeling better and there was no point just dancing around each other forever. "We're going to eat, go over a few ground rules, I'm going to have a shower and get dressed," he nodded towards the bag he'd abandoned on the couch. "And then, you'll see."

The night before Mike had been much more patient than he felt this morning, having spent the night with Harvey in his bed, and then having him there in the morning, and then being kissed - it left him eager for whatever it was they would do today. He bit his lip, but nodded all the same. "Okay." He could be patient a little longer; he did have a small amount of self-control, after all.

Taking a bite he chewed, watching Mike carefully. "Eat," he said gently, nodding towards the bagels. "We're going to be working on the traffic light system, rather than the safety word system. Because with a safety word there is no way of knowing before it's all gone too far. Now if I'm doing something and I ask you if you like it and you do? Then say green. Or just say green if you really like something and hope like hell I'll keep doing it," Harvey said with a wink. "Now yellow means that what's happening is starting to make you feel uncomfortable or is starting to hurt too much or whatever and you want me to stop what I'm doing but you're happy to continue playing. Red means everything stops, right away and we stop and talk," Harvey explained, pausing to eat and sip his coffee. "You need to be honest with me and you need to use these words and know that I'll respect them, no matter what."

While Harvey explained about the words and their meanings, Mike fixed a bagel for himself and alternated between food and coffee, even grinning when Harvey actually winked at him. It seemed simple enough in theory, but then so many things did and Mike knew that wasn't always the case. "Okay, green for good, yellow means stop what you're doing but I'd still like to play, and red means stop everything and we talk." He repeated it all, just to make sure they were both on the same page.

"It seems like," Mike started, pursing his lips while he thought about it, "Words only really work depending on how aware you are at any given time. What happens if awareness becomes an issue?" He asked.

Harvey nodded when Mike spoke, glad he didn't have to repeat himself. Plus obviously it was Mike and Mike was almost too smart for his own good.

"That's why we talk first, about soft limits and hard limits. We talk after every heavy play session, we talk about everything. So that I hopefully never put you into a position where you need to even consider the word yellow. But if you're worried about a situation in which I was too unaware to hear you, don't be, that will never happen," Harvey assured him.

Mike nodded while Harvey answered his question and reassured him at the same time. "So lots of talking then, got it." He could handle that, even if there were times he wasn't always sure what was the right thing to say. Because unlike with most people Harvey seemed to be someone he could talk to easily from the start, even rambling occasionally.

"Lots of talking," Harvey agreed with a little smile. He knew that Mike had trust issues, he'd known that since they met but it was something they were going to work on here, until Mike was ready to trust Harvey with everything. "You can tell me anything, no matter what, Mike."

"What do you consider a heavy play session?" Mike asked next, taking a large bite of his bagel so his mouth wouldn't get away from him and start asking things they hadn't even gotten to yet - he knew there was a lot he needed to learn, but his own stream of consciousness tended to be a little random and disjointed at times.

Answering questions was a lot easier than just talking and Harvey thought for a moment about the best way to phrase his answer. "With us we pretty much exist in a constant state of domination and submission. But a heavy play session is when you're going to be the sole focus of all my attention, it might just be you kneeling for me, pleasing me either by simply doing what I ask of you or in a sexual way, right up to tying you down, blindfolding you and doing whatever I like with you for hours." Harvey explained, clearing his throat because his voice was starting to catch. "I consider heavy play to be anything that sends you into subspace."

They were just talking, it seemed silly that Mike could be so affected by just talking and yet he definitely was. Just talking about this, what they were doing, even before Harvey suggested tying him down was enough to have Mike's heart beating just a bit faster. Tongue sliding over his lower lip, Mike nodded. "Okay so there are colors, and lots of talking - any other ground rules?" Mike asked, lifting his eyes when he realized he'd been watching Harvey's mouth rather than his eyes.

His earlier assessment of the amount of self-control he possessed might have been an overestimation, or it felt that way standing there in his tiny kitchen with Harvey, because waiting and talking and ground rules were quickly becoming less and less interesting.

Harvey finished his bagel, rubbing his hands together to shake off any crumbs as he watched Mike's face. It was intriguing and beautiful and he loved the way Mike's eyes already looked like they were glazing over. That might not have been his intention with this conversation, but it was a delightful side effect.

"Not that I can think of, everything else will come as we go," he said with a smile, reaching out to nudge Mike's jaw affectionately with his knuckles. "I might skip the shower and just change, you're fine how you are, just finish up, tidy up and I'll be back in a minute." Harvey said, leaning in to kiss him again. "Okay?"

"Okay." Mike nodded eagerly, giving off the impression of the puppy Harvey often accused him of being, but honestly that was the furthest thing from his mind.

When he was left in the kitchen Mike finished what remained of his bagel and coffee before putting away the things that hadn't been eaten and sweeping up any remaining crumbs into his hand to toss them into the trash, and then washed his hands. All in all the whole process didn't take him long, long enough to give Harvey time to change and not quite long enough to get worked up with nerves over whatever it was Harvey had planned for them that morning.

Harvey just gave an affectionate eye roll before grabbing the bag of fresh clothes off the couch and pushing Mike's door half closed behind him. He didn't really like most of the fetish getup, sure a nice corset was a lovely thing to look at, but he didn't feel the need to dress a certain way. So the jeans were cheap and so was the t-shirt and sweater, but at least they were clean. Getting dressed was a good way to prepare himself for what was coming, finally taking it too far to ever come back from. Because right now they were in deep but he could imagine putting a stop to it without too much pain for either of them.

Snapping out of the moment of reflection he ran his fingers through his hair and headed back out to join Mike.

He liked to take things slowly, which had been hard seeing as he'd only been having one night stands, but now he was letting himself have something more he was going to go at his own pace. Harvey moved the table back from the couch so he could take a seat and there was plenty of room in front of him. "Mike, get on your knees," he said gently, looking at the spot in front of him, then back to the boy.

Mike had waited in the kitchen where he'd been left, having pulled himself up to sit on the counter while he waited for Harvey, though he hadn't waited long before Harvey was back looking far more casual than Mike had ever seen him - making him recall Lila's story about Harvey sitting on the floor.

His thoughts were interrupted though when Harvey spoke, and though his tone hadn't been loud it almost had the same effect. He moved, back to his feet and then around the back of the couch to the point Harvey had indicated before he'd knelt there in front of Harvey.

It was such a simple thing, kneeling, and yet it was more than just that, Mike could feel it even if he didn't understand all of it yet. Just focusing on how right it felt to be where he was.

Harvey smiled when Mike knelt before him, strangely elegant really, not the clumsy puppy he was sometimes. "When I ask you to do something like kneel, or move, or anything really, you say Yes, Harvey." He said, looking intently into Mike's eyes. "I don't like the word Master used in reference to myself, Harvey is fine, but Sir is good as well, if you prefer." Harvey said, letting himself fall into the familiar role that he craved more than anything, more than nicotine more than the strongest drug.

"Does it turn you on, Mike? Kneeling at my feet?" He asked casually, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward.

"Yes." Mike said without hesitating, or thought really, because the answer was so very simple in his mind. Simple enough in fact that he didn't even feel like it was something he shouldn't admit to - perhaps some of it lingered from their earlier conversation, helped by the kisses Harvey had given him already that morning, but Mike suspected a great deal of what he was feeling right then had everything to do with being on his knees for Harvey.

Harvey slid his hand into Mike's hair, tugging sharply as he looked down into his eyes. "Yes, what, Mike?" As much as the answer had pleased him it wasn't phrased how he wanted to hear it and training was just as much about punishment as it was about reward.

The tug on his hair was enough for Mike to realize his mistake; in answering as quickly as he had he'd forgotten that. "Yes, Harvey." He amended, and yet even that didn't feel wrong, to be corrected. Not when he wanted to be good for Harvey, he wanted to know that Harvey would help him do that.

Harvey practically glowed when Mike corrected himself, leaning in to brush his lips over Mike's. "Good boy," he whispered, stroking him gently as a reward.

He was never going to get over that pleased and ridiculously happy feeling that filled his body every time Harvey said that. It was just two words and yet they were like a physical touch at the same time - Mike didn't understand it, all he knew though was that he wanted more of it.

He worried his lower lip between his teeth for a minute, before tilting his head. "When I talked to Lila, she calls Troy her Master." He started; figuring if he wasn't supposed to be talking Harvey would let him know. "If you don't like the word what do I call you in that context?" He asked. "My Harvey?" He grinned at that, amused and finding it fitting all at the same time.

He laughed gently, giving a little shrug. "Lila calls Troy her Master because that's how she respects him and his authority. When you say Harvey I know what you put into that word, I know what it means to you and that's enough. You can call me your Harvey," he said, gently carding his fingers through Mike's hair. "But everyone is different, you will call Troy Sir and you will call Amy Miss Amy. I'm sure they'll allow you one slip up and if it happens again you'll be theirs to deal with. Do you understand? I'll look after you and they'd never hurt anything what's mine, but they're more traditional than I am and you will respect that, Mike."

He nodded while Harvey explained about Lila and Troy, and brought up Amy again the way Lila had. "Yes, Harvey. I wouldn't disrespect either of them on purpose, though." And unlike most people Mike had a memory that shouldn't let him forget it either, but he couldn't help that little bit of worry that crept in there with all of that - whatever the penalty might be for forgetting, as well as letting Harvey down, and coloring the way the group saw him. "I don't want to disappoint you."

Holding Mike's face in both hands he looked into his eyes, wondering how such a beautiful blue color even existed. "You never will, Mike and I'll never let anything happen to you, ever. Nothing you do can't be fixed, nothing. You are safe with me and you have nothing to be scared of," he said firmly. Harvey moved his hand down, thumb stroking gently over his throat. "You belong to me, you are my responsibility, do you understand?"

Mike had once told Harvey there had only ever been one person he could trust in his life, and that perhaps it was time he started trusting someone else, he hadn't realized then just how much he was going to need to work on that. But there on his knees with Harvey it was easier to believe that Harvey was telling him the truth. Whether that was because he just wanted to believe it desperately or if it was something else Mike wasn't sure, but the trust was coming.

For the moment he let himself focus on Harvey's hand on him, the way his fingers moved until they had settled against his throat. He pressed into Harvey's fingers just slightly, not enough for any real pressure, just to feel him more firmly and nodded. "Yes, Sir."

Hearing Mike call him Sir had a delightful effect, like molten heat dripping down from the base of his skull into his stomach, the words looked good on Mike's lips and he tightened his grip on Mike's neck. "I like how that sounds, my boy," he said, voice pleased as he played with the pressure he was putting on Mike's throat.

Harvey leaned back on the couch, incredibly aroused but ignoring that, that was just a happy byproduct of what they were doing. Plus it didn't hurt to show Mike how pleased he was with him and he hoped being obviously hard would do just that.

When Harvey leaned back Mike wasn't completely sure where to put his eyes, and so they kept shifting from Harvey's face, down the line of his body, before settling at his lap and starting over again. It made want pool up inside of him, though before he could really look his fill Harvey was telling him to close his eyes.

"Close your eyes," he said softly, guiding Mike's head down to rest on his knee. "And just relax, I want you to be more comfortable like this than you've ever been before." Harvey said, stroking his hand through Mike's hair. "Because next time you'll be totally naked."

He exhaled slowly resting against Harvey's knee, his other senses feeling a little like they were picking up the slack when he couldn't see. He listened to the deep soothing sound of Harvey's voice, and the feeling of Harvey's fingers in his hair and let it relax him. It was easier to do than he'd thought it would be.

And yet despite the way he relaxed into Harvey, Mike couldn't seem to help tensing just slightly when Harvey told him he would be naked the next time they did this. Hitting too closely to all those little parts of his mind that just wanted so much. Mike rubbed his cheek against Harvey's leg, feeling like he really did belong there.

It was the most beautiful sight, Mike with his face pressed against his leg, making him feel on top of the world. He was lovely and Harvey was the only one who would ever get to see him like this. "Put your hands behind your back, like your wrists are tied and keep them there, if you can't control yourself then I will have to tie them and I'd rather not," Harvey said, his hand moving in time with his voice through Mike's hair.

This was basic stuff, but that didn't mean it wasn't amazing for Harvey too. Everything was better with Mike than it had been before and just watching him made Harvey feel so incredibly proud.

"And I just want you to think about how you're doing this because it's what I want, that this is where you belong, about how happy you're making me, Mike," he said gently, trying to use his rough deep voice to lead him to start to drift.

Mike had thought spending much time on his knees would be uncomfortable, or awkward, or even that he wouldn't like it - but from the moment he'd gotten down on the floor those doubts seemed to have fled his mind all together. And now kneeling there with his head on Harvey's knee and his wrists crossed behind his back, Mike wasn't sure how he'd ever thought this wouldn't be something he'd enjoy.

He didn't bother nodding, just murmured a quiet _yes, Sir_ and just let himself think about those things and the feeling of Harvey's hand in his hair, and the sound of Harvey breathing above him. He thought about what it meant, being there on his knees with Harvey. He thought about how much he'd wanted to belong to Harvey, and finally feeling like this was the start of it - of actually being Harvey's.

He just let all of those thoughts fill his mind and had them run over and over again, content where he was.

It wasn't the first time that Harvey had found himself looking at Mike and thinking that maybe he was perfect, it wasn't going to be the last either. When Mike was settled and Harvey had looked his fill he slipped his phone out of his pocket, because he had at least twenty emails that he needed to reply to and it was best to distract himself a little bit if he was going to take this as slow as he was planning to.

Time passed quickly and Harvey knew that Mike was totally out of it and it was really hard not to be impressed. He wasn't going to disturb him, not when the point was to see just how far he could get Mike to drift during their first time. His attention shifted between Mike and his phone, but his hand was constantly moving in Mike's hair, stroking him slow and sure.

The longer it went on the smaller and smaller the focus of Mike's world grew, time stopped being something he was interested in, and his apartment faded from his awareness, to the point that Harvey and the places where Harvey touched him were all that Mike really knew.

Later when he looked back on it Mike wouldn't really know how to describe this feeling. It was like a dream, but he wasn't sleeping. He was aware of where he was and what he was doing vaguely, but it was like everything else had stopped mattering, like he could trust Harvey to take care of anything important when he was like that, and Harvey was there with him the entire time.

After over half an hour of Mike resting there, Harvey was starting to wonder if he'd stay forever. He knew that his legs were going to be sore and he'd probably need to go to the bathroom and Harvey knew when enough was enough.

"Mike," he said softly, his hand halting on the back of his neck and squeezing gently. "Time to come back, to sit up," Harvey said gently, squeezing his neck a little bit harder.

Harvey's voice was right there on the edge of his awareness pulling him back into the present, he did it slowly and by increments working out and down from where Harvey's hand lay on his neck, down his back and into his hips and legs and down to his feet. He blinked his eyes open once and closed them again and then repeated the motion.

That haze that had settled over him faded slowly, even as he lifted his head, wrists still crossed behind his back. "Harvey," His voice came out rough and quiet and Mike licked his lips and cleared his throat, looking up at Harvey where he still sat in front of him. "Hi," He said with a slow smile. "So that was …" he trailed off looking for the right word, "new," he settled on.

Then Mike was coming back to him, not that he'd ever left, maybe he'd just got too deep into him to see anymore, but the point remained. His eyes were huge and glassy and he looked gorgeous, making Harvey smile fondly.

"You did so good, Mike, you were amazing, perfect," he praised, voice warm and gentle as he leaned forward to kiss him. "I'm so incredibly proud of you, kid. That was..." Harvey faded off, kissing him again. "Come on, I want you to stand up, nice and slow."

Mike felt high, only it was better than any high he'd ever had from pot, even when Trevor splurged for the really good stuff. This, Harvey telling him he was good, kissing him, there wasn't anything better than that Mike decided.

When he started to get to his feet, Mike finally became aware of just how long he'd been on the floor - perhaps not the exact amount of time, but he could tell it was longer than just a few minutes. He took his time, steadying himself with a hand on Harvey's knee before he righted himself fully. "How long did you let me go for?" He asked, bouncing a little on his heels, his calves and feet tingling with the prickles of numbness.

As Mike slowly stood Harvey watched him carefully, ready to catch him in case he looked like he was going to fall. "About forty minutes," Harvey said, his voice laced with the pride he felt looking into Mike's face. "How do you feel?" Harvey asked him, pulling him in with two firm hands on his hips, nuzzling at his stomach through his t-shirt.

It hadn't felt like forty minutes at all, not even close and yet Mike couldn't have said how long it felt like either if asked, even standing there with Harvey looking at him, Mike still felt it - that feeling of just knowing everything was going to be alright.

Stepping forward on careful feet when Harvey pulled him, Mike smiled, resting a hand on Harvey's shoulder, to steady himself fingers curling against the back of Harvey's neck on instinct into the short hair there and just letting himself feel it. "I feel-" His voice caught in his throat when Harvey leaned in so close, pressing against his stomach. "Good," Mike said when he found his voice again. "Really, really good."

* * *

Things were going well, like so well that there were times when Mike was afraid to think about it for too long just in case he jinxed it. But then he'd see Harvey again and everything felt better and it stopped being so scary and he didn't think about losing this he just thought about how lucky he was to have it in the first place.

He still hadn't heard from Jenny, though the longer he didn't hear from her the more Mike thought he probably wouldn't. And it hurt, that she would throw away their friendship because she refused to understand, because she couldn't let him be happy, but at the same time the longer she didn't call the more time he spent with Harvey and the more he knew it was what he wanted and that he wouldn't let her take it away from him, even if it meant not being her friend anymore.

Tonight though, Mike wasn't thinking about the past, he was thinking about the present and the future and possibly charming Lila with a particularly pleading look until she gave him a brownie. He hadn't expected to be able to talk to her so easily that first time he'd gone to see her, but the more he'd gone to visit her the easier it got.

To the point where Mike could admit he just liked spending time with her when he had a free evening.

"You know," He told her, "I'm very lucky this place isn't exactly around the corner from my apartment - I would be over here all the time, and I'm not sure even I do enough biking to deal with the number of brownies I would undoubtedly consume."

Lila loved Mike; seeing how much she loved Harvey it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to love Mike too. But she loved how he'd visit, it always brightened her day and they were becoming closer and closer with every visit.

She knew tonight might be intimidating for him and she'd thought getting him here first to settle in might make it easier. "Are you fishing?" Lila asked grinning over her shoulder from where she was stirring their dinner on the large stove. "They're in the jar, make sure you use the tongs and don't spoil your dinner," she said with a gentle smile.  
"That all depends." Mike said finding the salt and pepper for Lila and taking them to her. "Is it working?" He grinned. He wasn't sure what it was about Lila's food that just made it all good - vegan or not, and honestly he couldn't find it in himself to care much about it either.

It was going to be a good night, she could feel it, it was harder to get everyone together in one room than it once had been and she missed them. But tonight they were all going to just sit together and probably try to drink each other under the table.

"Can you get me the salt and pepper, please?" Lila asked, after she'd tasted the curry.

Mike was glad he'd had the time to come early tonight, so he could spend what little time there was before the rest of the group gathered with Lila, because he thought if he walked in and they were all there already he might not have survived it.

Once he knew she had what she needed Mike did end up getting a brownie, coming back to watch her cook. "So," He said slowly, "on a scale of one to ten how worried should I be about tonight?" He asked her, he was nervous and he wouldn't deny that, but he hadn't tipped the scales over into scared territory just yet.

He just wanted to make a good impression, he knew these people were important to Harvey, and to Lila as well.

Lila enjoyed the way Mike sort of hovered, passing her things and eating things, it reminded her of when she'd been growing up and her little brothers and sisters used to drive her mom crazy doing the same thing.

Stirring slowly she smiled at him, feeling his nerves like they were her own. "Zero, Mike," she said simply, leaving the vegetables to cook and wiping her hands on her apron. "But if you are? Know that everyone else is just as nervous about meeting you, like snakes, more afraid of you than you are of them," Lila said, slowly rolling the sleeves up on her shirt.

Mike gave her a wry grin when she told him he didn't need to be nervous about meeting everyone that night. "Yeah, but I mean there are some pretty good reasons to be worried about snakes." He said working the metaphor to its conclusion, and god he really didn't want to get bit by anyone tonight … well, anyone but Harvey, but no he wasn't going to start thinking of that right then, maybe later, when getting distracted was more appropriate.

Instead he distracted himself with his brownie, which proved to be a fairly effective tactic.

"It's all kind of a lot though," He told her. "You all are important to Harvey, and I just want it to go well." And he trusted Harvey not to let anything happen to him, but that didn't change that desire to be good for him, to make a good impression.

Lila leaned her hip up against the counter beside him, unable to keep the amused smile off her lips. "Do you want a Xanax? You look like you need one," she said, elbowing him gently in the ribs.

"Mike, relax. Seriously. They're going to love you," Lila promised, giving him that same serene smile she had on her face almost constantly. "We just want each other to be happy, no one's judging you, it's just dinner and drinks. Anyone who doesn't like you would have to go through Harvey and me and do you see that happening?" She asked, elbowing him softly again.

Breathing in deeply Mike held it for a moment, before he let it out again slowly, the whole reason he came early was so he wouldn't get himself worked up, one day he would learn how to follow his own directions to himself.

"I'm very good at overreacting." Mike said huffing a short laugh, all in all though he considered this an improvement to simply throwing his hands up and walking away the way he might have in the past. He wanted this, wanted Harvey too much to just walk away from it. He smiled though and bumped his shoulder against hers, just slightly in retaliation for all the elbows she'd thrown at him but more simply because he appreciated her being there and telling him he was being stupid - even in not so many words. "I'll be alright."

Harvey wanted to be early, but even still he wasn't as early as he'd have liked to be. He'd been rushing though so his hair was still a little damp when he pulled open the front door to the cafe, ignoring the closed sign like he always did.

"Just me," he called out as he made his way back towards the kitchen, dodging the big table that had been moved out from the wall so they could all sit around it.

"Well look what we've got here, sweet and sweeter," Harvey said, grabbing Lila around the waist and placing a kiss on the top of her head before he grabbed Mike in a similar fashion. "This is our chance, let's leave town, Troy will never find us," Harvey said with an easy laugh.

Lila shrieked happily when Harvey dragged her across the kitchen, leaning against him for a second as he planned, as usual, a daring escape from the city and an illicit affair. "You wish, Specter, now get your mitts off me," she said, rolling her eyes.

If Mike hadn't been so caught up in laughing he might have been busy enjoying just how much Harvey let himself relax here. He hadn't even been there for five whole minutes but it was obvious just looking at him. His hair damp and threatening to steal Lila away before anyone else arrived. If Mike wasn't already he would have decided he was incredibly fond of Harvey by this display.

"Look what we have here." Mike's head spun toward the door at the sound of a new voice, trying to see who it was while Harvey and Lila poked at one another. "Honestly, we can't leave you unsupervised for five minutes can we, Specter?" The man at the door grinned as he came inside. "Now, hands off my girl if you please or I might have to make off with your boy." Ah so that would make this Troy, Mike's mind filled in the blank, hoping he'd be able to keep everyone straight.

"And you must be Mike." Troy said holding out a hand for Lila when he reached them. "I've heard quite a bit about you already."

"Yes, Sir." Mike nodded. "Lila has told me a little about you too."

Harvey grinned at the sound of the deep voice joining the room, now it was officially a party, it seemed. "Troy, my dear friend, I can't fight animal attraction, you're a lucky man," he said, placing his hands into his pockets with a grin.

Lila's hand slipped into her Master's before he'd even extended it totally, like she'd perceived what he wanted before he'd had to really ask for it. She smiled at Mike when the two greeted each other, pleased already how it was turning out.

"Jesus fuck, Lila!" Elle called from the front door, the sound of which was followed by a bang. "You're just fucking collecting junk on every fucking surface!" There was another bang as Elle knocked into the table. "Oh fuck!" She swore again, rubbing her leg. "Where the fuck is everyone?"

Wrapping his arm around Mike's hips Harvey laughed happily into his ear. "Could you say fuck less, Elle!" Harvey yelled back just to be treated to a very loud expletive in response. "Looks like that's not an option then," he said rolling his eyes.

"Okay!" Lila said, holding her hands up. "Gentlemen, if it would please you, could you greet Little Miss Fuck and let me finish with our dinner?" She asked, but her eyes were fixed on her Master's, smiling just for him.

Mike watched the way Troy and Lila interacted with one another, though he leaned back into Harvey. He liked it, he decided - the way they looked at each other, the way they moved around each other like a unit rather than two separate parts.

"Is that your way of telling us your kitchen wasn't meant to host these little get togethers?" Troy asked Lila with an amused smile on his face, curling a finger under her chin and lifting her face to kiss her. "Be good, shout if you need something, and I'll make sure Harvey keeps Elle from destroying anything out front." He assured her.

"Now you two heard the woman, get out there." Troy was going to enjoy tonight - he always liked these nights when they all managed to find the time to get together rather than meeting in smaller groups. And of course Harvey had brought his boy, they were all looking forward to this; it was going to be a good night.

Mike wasn't sure he didn't prefer the kitchen though, because the kitchen was familiar and Lila was in there and out here was Elle who apparently couldn't make it through a sentence without saying fuck at least twice, and of course everyone else when they arrived.

But at least Mike was saved from meeting Elle right away with the arrival of someone new, two someones new by the looks of it. They looked like the sort of people Mike would have imagined to run in Harvey's social circles before he'd gotten to know him better, the man dressed more casually than the woman - Mike's brain pulled the photo back up and matched their faces and then added names Amy and Rob. It felt a little like Troy's arrival had opened the flood gates and now everyone was arriving all at once.

Mike was content for the moment just to watch them all greeting each other, the way they moved around familiar and friendly in a way that clearly spoke of how comfortable they were around each other despite their varying backgrounds. He introduced himself to everyone and was introduced as well, and when the last person arrived (Riley who had been running just a little late thanks to trouble with his bike lock) and Lila had declared dinner to be ready everyone had gathered around the table.

Harvey had taken the seat beside Troy, sharing one head of the table while Amy sat at the other, it all felt normal and joyful, like Christmas should be, except it was better than usual because Mike was to his right, like he belonged there. They ate happily, and Harvey couldn't have kept the smile off his face if he tried. "You are a goddess, Lila," Harvey said as he pushed his plate away. "I have no idea how you manage such perfection, but wow, it's always better than it was last time." He said with a warm smile. Harvey grabbed the wine, refilling everyone's glasses before he leaned back against the wall.

"So Mike," Elle said. "How is he?" She asked, pointing her glass towards Harvey.

It got easier to relax and fall into the rhythm of the group while they ate, and Mike was feeling relaxed with Harvey beside him as they were all starting to finish the meal Lila had prepared. Which was likely part of the reason Elle was able to take him by surprise the way she did.

He raised an eyebrow trying to understand the question. How was Harvey, though a quick glance at Riley who was just rolling his eyes at Elle gave away the meaning he'd been missing. "Oh, oh - oh yeah, right umm... yeah." Mike opened his mouth and then closed it, looking at Harvey for just a moment for some help when Troy spoke up instead.

"Give the boy a break Elle, it's his first time." Troy admonished her. "Let him have a few more glasses of wine and then you ask him about his sex life, do I have to explain this to you every time?" He asked her with a smirk. "It's a wonder you ever get any information out of people."

"It's quiet obvious that Harvey is very well," Amy intoned after Troy had finished, casting a knowing glance at the pair of them. "Just look at him, do you remember the last time you saw him like this?" She asked of any of them.

Lila rolled her eyes at Elle, about ready to slap her for trying to throw Mike off, but her Master took care of it quickly and she leaned happily against his side. At Amy's question she stared wistfully at Harvey, shaking her head. "Never, never ever," Lila said.

Harvey let them all have their fun, first at Mike's expense, then at his, which was perfectly normal for this group. "I am very well," Harvey agreed, kissing Mike's shoulder gently.

"And look, he says it sober with a straight face, it's a miracle," Rob said, raising his glass to the group. "One word toast," he said, nodding to Elle.

"To fucking," she chimed in with a laugh.

"To curry," Riley added only after he'd poked Elle as hard as he could in the ribs.

"To wine," Lila chimed in, blowing Rob a kiss, she really did love his cute little ideas, he could be such a dork but she adored him.

And once it had started the toasts continued around the table, "To relaxing." Rob replied grinning at Lila.

"To friends." Amy added next.

"To the chef." Troy attempted, though his was protested with the reminder of the rule of a one word toast and he was forced to amend his. "To Lila." Simply because he would not be bested by a word limit.

And then suddenly it was Mike's turn and he realized that he'd just been sitting there listening to everyone else come up with their toast when he should have been thinking of his own. He quickly searched through his head to find the right word before he added his own toast to those they'd raised. "To belonging." He said slowly before glancing at Harvey.

Harvey thought it was a nice idea but by the time it reached him and he'd given Mike a smile in response he was left with only one option. "To sodomy. And being one big giant movie and musical cliche, fucking hell guys, you are so gay," Harvey laughed, practically doubling over with it.

But the laughter was contagious and it probably had at least a little bit to do with the wine but they were all soon a big laughing mess. "That's the last time Rob gets to have ideas," Harvey proclaimed, wiping tears out of his eyes.

Amy patted Rob's cheek affectionately. "He's right you know," She told him and kissed him when he opened his mouth to protest. "Quiet."

Mike still wasn't sure he was going to get used to this, the casual displays of what they all were, what they all did. It made him want something like this more often, no matter how impossible. It was nice though, he decided, being a part of this group of people where he could be himself. Not just around Harvey or Lila, but around this family.

And more than that, he loved getting a chance to see Harvey like this, with people he obviously liked and was comfortable around. Mike was glad that he could be a part of this.

Troy was glad they'd done this; it had been too long since they'd all gotten together like this, and everyone always enjoyed themselves when they had the time to have dinner together. He wound an arm around Lila tucking her in against his side and watched everyone, slowly relaxing more and more thanks to good food and wine.

And he let himself watch Harvey and Mike, they might have teased Harvey about how he looked good with Mike there, but it was the truth. He looked better than Troy could remember him looking and he thought the boy was doing Harvey some good. "So what do you think, Mike?" He asked, "As bad as you imagined us to be? Or worse?"

"Better." Mike said simply, grinning. Maybe a little overwhelming occasionally but in the best sort of way.

Harvey lounged back against the wall, the feeling of contentment in his chest that could only come from having everyone you loved in the one room, getting along and being together. He was so closed off in so much of his life, he felt like here was the only place he could just be himself, let it go and have those feelings he was so quick to deny.

Plus Mike seemed to be enjoying himself and he was glad, he wanted Mike to fit in and enjoy himself as well, he'd known there hadn't been anything to worry about. Slowly one after the other, they looked at their watches and said their goodbyes as it got later, some having to work the next day and others simply living on the other side of town and knowing the journey before them.

And surprisingly Elle had been too tipsy to ask any more awkward sex questions, either that or she was saving them all up for the next time. Either way Mike had gotten a reprieve.

Lila had crawled into her Master's lap, back comfortable against his chest, letting the vibrations of his voice sooth her while she watched the new couple. "They look good together," Lila decided after looking between Mike and Harvey, then back at Troy to confirm what she'd said.

"Yes they do." Troy agreed easily, grinning and resting his chin on Lila's shoulder as he held her close. It had been a good night, and he was content for the moment to sit and linger in the good feelings that only came when all their friends gathered together. "You were right," He told her. "Mike is good for Harvey."

Where Mike had been happy to lean against the wall with Harvey, slowly sinking down with each passing minute, he couldn't help the way he perked up at hearing his name. He really shouldn't have been surprised to find anyone who had been there tonight talking about him - he was just relieved to have avoided an interrogation about his sex life with Elle by the end of the night.

Troy grinned at Mike over Lila's shoulder, "That wasn't just teasing earlier." He told the boy, "Harvey looks good with you - you're good for each other. Remember that."

Mike honestly hadn't expected to be welcomed into the group that night, he'd thought he'd get to know them, make the foundation for something later - but it felt like maybe all of that could be skipped, or at least the distance between the two points wasn't as far as he'd imagined it would be. "I will." He assured Troy, a warmth settling in him pleased and relaxed and content.

Harvey was drunk, drunk and happy and warm and he really sort of never wanted to move. He loved his friends and seeing how welcome they made Mike really warmed his heart. "Mike is good for Harvey," he agreed, walking his fingers up and down his boy's thigh.

"And I can't believe none of you made him believe we were all going to have an orgy, I'm really disappointed in you, Troy," Harvey said, grinning at the couple, who made the most beautiful picture together. He'd always wanted that for himself and now that he was here with Mike he felt like maybe he was getting it too.

Lila laughed, her head falling to one side. "That's not a fun game, Harvey. That one time with Elle's boyfriend? I thought he was going to throw up on you."

"Besides everyone knows the orgies only happen at the second meeting." Troy grinned, turning his face to kiss the exposed side of Lila's neck while she laughed. "Sorry Mike, but it's something to look forward to next time, now that you've gotten the seal of approval from the group. I'd watch out for Riley though, he might seem quiet but he is trouble, Elle too for that matter - but I think she makes that obvious all on her own." Troy warned Mike.

Lila closed her eyes, she was liquid under her Master's hands and it really didn't matter who was watching. Having Troy touch her was a privilege and she never put any restrictions on that. "And me, don't forget about me, I'm a wildcat," Lila said with a gentle laugh.

It was easier now, perhaps thanks to the wine and the good food, or just because Mike had seen for himself that these were good people, and so when Troy teased he could just grin rather than let it fluster him. "At least this way I'll be prepared for next time." He grinned, letting fingers trail along the back of Harvey's hand.

Sitting up a little bit he bent his knees and opened his legs to give Mike room to sit between them. "Here," he said quietly to Mike, patting the cushion between his knees. "You know, we are a pretty incestuous group, even without the orgies. I think everyone has seen everyone naked, at least."

Mike didn't need further invitation to move between Harvey's legs, he turned in toward him slightly and at the same time leaned back against the broad expanse of Harvey's chest. "Even without the orgies you've seen everyone naked?" He asked only slightly doubtful, because some part of him could completely believe it.

"What can we say, kid?" Troy was dividing his attention between at least making an attempt at keeping up with the conversation, and of course Lila. She was always so good for him and at times like these with close friends around he couldn't help that desire to keep her close, to nuzzle in against the side of her neck and feel the way she responded to him. "We can't keep our clothes on, you'll get used to it."

Harvey's arms looped around Mike's slim waist and his legs framed his, it was wonderful and Harvey was starting to realize how much he'd been missing out on. "I think so, I've seen a lot of naked people," he said with a chuckle.

Breathing slowly Lila felt light as air, like she was in heaven, but it just so happened that she was lucky to feel like this so much of her time. "Miss Amy has been with Elle, Riley and Rob. Then there was that time Rob forgot Miss Amy's birthday and she made him stay naked everywhere but work for a month," Lila said with a little laugh. "I was with Harvey briefly, before I found the light, Master was with Riley, yes, Harvey is right. It almost is like an orgy."

Leaning his head back against Harvey's shoulder while Lila explained the various ways the group had all been involved with each other at one time or another. It was interesting, he thought, that they could all remain friends with all of that history between them. "Yes, definitely incesty." Mike agreed, though he was talking more to the line of Harvey's jaw to anyone else, just letting himself relax there.

Harvey glanced down at Mike with a fond smile, feeling pretty blissed out himself. "We're very, very good friends, what can I say," Harvey said fondly, nuzzling Mike's cheek.

"How did that work?" Mike asked after a moment, having been rolling around the connections Lila had given him around in his head and landing back on Rob, "Being naked everywhere except for work - he can't have been able to go out much." Or at all, he thought. Just thinking for a moment about all the places he went and how he wouldn't be able to do that.

"Curious from a purely theoretical side of things?" Troy asked, looking far too amused. "Or should Harvey be paying attention?"

"Just curious." Mike said, lifting a shoulder, because he wasn't really sure which was the correct answer. Maybe at some point? Maybe if it was something Harvey wanted.

"That's the point, Mike. Some people ban clothes, or making eye contact, or just a good old fashioned spanking, it's a punishment," Lila explained, leaning forward to grab her wine off the table. "But some of us are so well behaved we don't need such harsh reprimanding," Lila said, turning her head to smile up at her Master.

Rubbing his thumbs up and down Mike's ribs he couldn't help but grin at Troy's questions. "Hmm, it kind of sounds like you'd be interested in a clothing ban; I'll have to keep that in mind."

Harvey's hands on him, thumbs against his side made Mike want to stay right there where he was for the rest of the night and into the next morning and at the same time made him want to squirm, though Harvey's fingers moved with just the right amount of pressure keep the light touches from being too much. "I like clothes." Mike assured Harvey, despite the grin on his face. "Clothes are good."

It was good though, being here with Troy and Lila, Harvey's arms around him - Mike couldn't think of anything he'd rather be doing, even with the occasional teasing at his expense, this was good.

* * *

It must have been the weather but suddenly it seemed like all of their clients were trying to fire their upper management and it was up to Harvey to find the best way to do it, write up the best agreement and then get the person who'd just lost their job to agree to it. Mostly it hadn't been too hard but Peter Bale from Elmerich Inc had a contract that really seemed ironclad and Harvey had given the document to Mike that morning to see what he'd come up with.

But now Harvey was at Mike's desk and it was missing a very important detail. Mike.

Leaning over he grabbed Mike's phone off the hook and dialed Donna. "Where has he got to now?"

"Louis has been rounding up all the associates this morning he's got them going through briefs." She told him, and from what she'd seen Louis planned on keeping them there all day and well into the night. "You planning on springing the kid? Otherwise you should be sure to make sure they all get a lunch break at some point." She told him.

Donna's information proved to be accurate as it always was, Mike had been taken hostage, along with any other available associates, and had been put to work going through what felt like endless files for one tiny piece of information. And it hadn't mattered that he'd had work for Harvey, Louis never seemed to care - and so Mike found himself, for not the first time searching for information all the while keenly aware of the work he still had to do for Harvey.

"Thanks, Donna," Harvey said, putting down the phone and considering his options. He was trying to be as subtle as possible about what was going on between him and Mike and going in there and yanking him out was going to draw attention to them. But sending everyone to lunch was going to get him Louis jumping down his throat.

Grabbing the contract off Mike's desk he walked through the office until he spotted the most miserable people he'd ever seen and knew he'd found Louis' torture chamber. Looking over the group Harvey cleared his throat. "Right, this half of you, take fifteen minutes, get food and coffee, then when you get back, the other side go. Don't stop, don't talk to anyone, just go," Harvey commanded and they associates looked at him blankly and when he raised his eyebrows they started to scatter. "More than fifteen minutes and I'll fire you myself."

He'd chosen the side of the room Mike wasn't on to go to lunch first and he crossed the room, putting the contract down on top of the brief he was reading. "Give me good news on this and if you tell me you haven't looked at it yet I'm going to have to put my angry face on."

There were times that even Mike, despite his love of reading had enough of it, when words started to blur and fade into one another on the page and he was sure that even with his memory he wasn't going to be able to recall what it was he'd read, even if he was highlighting and annotating as he went. This was one part of working for a law firm that Mike hadn't actually considered before, the difference between book knowledge and real world knowledge making itself known once again.

He'd almost breathed a sigh of relief when Harvey's all too familiar voice broke the silence which had previously only been filled by the sounds of highlighters and pens scratching over paper. But he knew better.

He kept on reading while Harvey made his announcements, finding himself in the group that was to remain with Harvey standing over him with the contract had been working on before Louis had commandeered his time for the afternoon. "I've looked at it," Mike started, because a little good news was the best he could offer at this point. "I haven't finished it yet." He admitted which meant he hadn't had time to find the solution Harvey needed.

"Damn it, Mike," Harvey sighed, rolling up the contract in both hands. "Go to my office, read this until you can tell me what I need. I'm going to need to have a word with Louis," he said, dropping the papers back on Mike's desk before turning on his heel and leaving the associates to figure out their own breaks now he'd given them permission.

Hands in his pockets he had to keep calm as he headed towards Louis office, knowing that he couldn't lose his cool just because someone else was telling his Mike what to do.

"Louis, why are you terrorizing the associates today? Your wife have a migraine last night?" Harvey asked as he leaned up against the door frame.

"Wait, don't tell me - it's funny because I'm not married." Louis replied when Harvey came into his office, looking up from the numbers he'd been running. "It's my job to deal with the associates, Harvey. And to make use of them when necessary. I'm sure you've heard about the Forster case, it's all hands on deck - and that includes the associates." Louis might have enjoyed giving the associates a hard time, but he usually did have actual reasons when he pulled them away from their other work. Usually.

"You're catching on," Harvey said, trying hard not to roll his eyes. "I know it's your job, Louis, you never let anyone forget it. But Mike is working on something and I don't have time to lose him to any case, even the Forster one," he said.

"I also sent them on a fifteen minute break; I could hear their stomachs growling from my office." Harvey said as he slid his hands into his pockets.

Louis laughed, short and not at all amused, "That's funny because I feel like you seem to have more trouble remembering that than anyone else despite my numerous reminders. Jessica agrees with me the associates are needed on this case." He told Harvey lifting his shoulder unconcerned about whatever it was Harvey had Mike working on.

Sometimes, actually no, most of the time, Harvey wished he could lock Louis in his office and prevent him ever having contact with anyone; he was just a special kind of unpleasant. "It might be because I don't listen to your reminders, Louis," Harvey said.

"If you were more concerned with getting Mike back, I'm assume you'd have worked on getting them to work faster rather than sending them out for lunch so you could have him back that much sooner." Louis told Harvey. "The Forster case is the firm's biggest priority right now, and everyone is making sacrifices to get the work done."

"I'm not actually asking, I've already sent him back to focus on what I need him to do. If you want to go tell Jessica that you can't spare one associate for one afternoon when we have a meeting with Elmerich at eight am tomorrow morning, that's fine. Let her know I'm in my office," Harvey said with a little smile that was far from amused.

"You know I will." Louis nodded, because if Louis lived for nothing else it was making life difficult for Harvey. "I'm sure she'll love to hear that you're undermining me with the associates _again_."

"And does she also believe that denying people food and bathroom breaks is the best way to get work done? I'm sure she'll love hearing that you're single handedly turning Pearson Hardman into the sweatshop of law firms."

"Why is it that everyone else around here can be a team player except for you, Harvey? You've always been perfectly capable of getting the work done before now - one has to wonder just what it is about you or Mike Ross that has suddenly rendered you unable to complete a task that even an associate can manage."

Harvey was good at keeping it cool, even when he felt anything but cool on the inside, but Louis really did drive him insane. "I do play for a team. The Harvey Specter Team, the thing about my team? We always win." Harvey said with a dark chuckle. "It's got a lot to do with being a Senior Partner, which I know you don't understand, but hey, you're still young and you've got lots of time to figure it out. I don't want to settle with this guy if I don't have to, to please the client and I need Ross as a second set of eyes."

Louis just glared at Harvey, the man was utterly impossible, a fact that was unlikely to change thanks to his promotion. Because anything he said was going to make this conversation veer off even more into the realm of elementary school taunting than even he was comfortable with.

He waved Harvey off and went back to his own work.

Mike on the other hand landed himself in Harvey's office, sitting on his couch and reading as fast as he could through the contract trying to find what Harvey needed. It was times like these, when things were particularly tense at the office, that Mike just wanted to get on his knees. He wanted to find that safe place again, and yet he couldn't. They didn't do that here and Mike could find what Harvey wanted, he knew he could it was just a matter of getting his head in the right place for it.

Harvey was more than happy to leave Louis behind in his office with no more arguing. So he smiled, tipped his imaginary hat and headed back to his office. He paused at Donna's desk to see what his schedule looked like for the rest of the day before he joined Mike in his office.

"Taking the time for breathing is against Louis policy, not mine," Harvey said, arching his eyebrows as he slid behind his desk. He found it was easier to keep lots of space between them and also never to loom over Mike but keep them on the same level. That didn't make it any easier.

But he could focus on his computer not Mike, so it was good to have something between them, like the whole room the screen and his desk.

Sighing when Harvey sat down, Mike sat back. "Breathing is overrated." He nearly snapped taking a deep breath all the same, and pressing his hands to either side of his face for a moment and pushing his fingers into his hair, and then making an attempt at smoothing it out again. He hated the way things got tense when Louis decided he needed to remind them that he was the one who was supposed to oversee the associates. Like he was making some claim on Mike that he didn't really have.

"Sorry, sorry." He said shaking his head, taking his frustrations out on Harvey was not a smart move and Mike knew it. It was the sort of thing he might say to Louis, but never to Harvey. "Louis just -" Mike stopped and tried to get his head straight. "I'm going to go back to reading." He sighed, looking back at the contract again.

Harvey didn't like his tone, really, really didn't like it. But right now there was nothing he could or should do about it. So he let it go, turning his chair so he had his back to the boy. If he growled at him it would just make it worse.

"Don't apologize," Harvey said quickly, knowing Donna was probably listening, she usually was. "Did Louis give you the pony talk again? Because I swear I'll-" but he cut himself off, that wasn't going to do them any good and it was just going to rile him up further.

Nothing felt worse than watching Mike answering to someone else, obeying someone else. Because he couldn't help feel replaceable, which was actually one of the most horrible feelings in the world, which was why he tried to avoid these pesky emotions as much as possible.

Mike shook his head, cautioning a glance at Harvey just to see the back of his chair. "No, no pony talk this time. Just the usual reminder that he is in charge of the associates, that he's my boss too and he could fire me whenever he likes." And that he needed to do what Louis told him as well. One day maybe Mike would find a way to deal with Louis to remind the man that he worked for Harvey, there were responsibilities there that he had to take care of first before he could take on more work.

Today was not that day, however.

"It's fine, I'm fine." He said more for himself than anything else, because he needed to be fine and not cross that line that was right there in front of him. Later perhaps. He licked his lips and nodded going back to reading, going over the same pages again and again looking for that bit of information they needed.

Harvey said nothing. It didn't sound fine and it didn't feel fine, but he'd deal with it. It wasn't optional not to. He knew their relationship was both unconventional and unprofessional and would probably cost Harvey his job, but it wasn't like they could just stop, he doubted either was capable of turning it off.

Instead he just let Mike read and watched the skyline, plotting ways to keep Louis away from what was his. He didn't come up with anything and instead did whatever he could to keep his focus off Mike and the desire he had to both calm him and get him back in line.

He was quiet while he read; fiddling with a highlighter tapping it on his knee, and biting the cap occasionally, until he found what he was looking for. "Okay, okay, okay." Mike said slowly, "This does it I think, in the bylaws there's a clause it should be enough to do what you're after." He told Harvey, bringing the contract to Harvey to show him what he'd found.

Taking the contract he looked over the part Mike had indicated, taking a minute to catch up with wonder boy's brain. "You're right, not that I'm surprised," Harvey said simply, his palms itching with the need to reach out and touch the boy, tell him how well he'd done.

Mike breathed out slow and easy when Harvey said he was right, it wasn't a _good boy_ and it wasn't Harvey's reassuring touch, but Mike could take it for what it was - as much as he could have there in the office with far too many glass walls to provide them with even the smallest bit of privacy.

* * *

There were some times when Mike couldn't actually recall how long he and Harvey had been doing this, oh he knew, his brain made it hard to forget but in certain moments it just felt so right and good that Mike had a hard time recalling his life before Harvey. It was like everything had suddenly come into focus, and why would he spend his time remembering a blurred life?

And of course there were other times when Mike could so easily recall the exact and precise length of time down to the very minute it felt like. That was how aware he was that it had been weeks, but no weeks wasn't really the right way to put that. No it had been months, that's how many weeks there had been, enough to make months, since they had started and Harvey was still going slow with him, treating him like he was breakable and Mike couldn't seem to help the way he sometimes felt lacking because of this. Like Harvey wasn't pushing him because he was inexperienced, because Harvey worried about him for some reason, and it made Mike endlessly frustrated.

It didn't change that desire he had to be good for Harvey though, Mike doubted there was ever going to be anything that could change that, there were just those moments of frustration that he didn't always know how to deal with.

Now that things were more comfortable between them Harvey tended to prefer Mike come to his place, there was much more room, he didn't have to worry about thin walls and well, it was nicer. He'd hoped that Mike would become comfortable being here and seeing as Mike seemed to make himself at home in Harvey's office and just touch everything, he wasn't too worried.

It had been a long week, with a lot of big cases keeping them distracted and without almost any time together out of the office, so what felt like no real time together at all. So the moment Mike was in the front door Harvey had him pressed back against it, lips rough against his and aiming to kiss until the frustration he'd been feeling from having to keep so much space between them was gone.

Times like this, with Harvey plastered against him the moment he'd stepped inside, kissing him until Mike couldn't even remember his own name - these were the times when Mike couldn't seem to recall how long they had been doing this, and it didn't matter. Nothing else mattered but Harvey's hands and lips on him.

He hummed against Harvey's lips, opening his mouth letting Harvey have whatever he wanted.

"Harvey." Just a few minutes of kissing and all ready he wanted so much, a reminder of how long it had been, making him into a teenager all over again, it was hardly fair, but that didn't make him want it any less.

He loved hearing his name on Mike's lips, tinged with lust and adoration and the respect Harvey had been teaching him, it sounded perfect. With a normal relationship he was quick to fall into sex, as fast as he could get it, because that was the prize. But this was so different and they weren't there yet, Harvey was still taking it at his pace and enjoying every second of what evolved between them.

Harvey had never understood how Troy could worship Lila when it was her that served him, but now he had Mike and he absolutely understood that feeling, right down to his core.

Sure he'd had Mike naked by now, but only to strip away all the barriers, not because he'd taken advantage of that particular pleasure yet. Elle had been teasing him for weeks over what she considered obvious erection problems seeing as they weren't fucking like rabbits but Harvey was quick to laugh it off. There was really no need to think Mike could possibly be worried about that though, seeing as he seemed to spend pretty much every moment they were together hard as hell, like now and he had no qualms about pressing himself right up against his boy as he kissed him senseless.

It was endlessly confusing for Mike though, as confusing as it was frustrating to feel how he affected Harvey. He could feel how hard Harvey was, but they never did anything more than this, and Mike couldn't help the way he ached for more than this.

"Harvey, please." Mike tipped his hips up, pressing toward Harvey even as Harvey kept him flush against the door. He wanted so much, wanted to please Harvey like this too, but he couldn't when Harvey wouldn't let him - kept him at a distance. Mike hooked his fingers in the waist of Harvey's pants, kept them close, working his fingers between them. "Let me, Harvey, please."

Harvey chuckled softly at Mike's little plea, it certainly wasn't a crime to beg and he had to admit he loved hearing it. But he took hold of Mike's wrists, pulling them away from where they seemed to be trying to get between them so he could pin his arms over his head. "You'd be beautiful on your knees, sucking my cock," he whispered softly, nipping at the side of Mike's neck. "And you will be, when we're ready."

He had other plans for the night and while getting Mike spread out on the bed was one of them, coming certainly wasn't.

"I'm ready," Mike arched, the long line of his body from where his arms were pinned above his head all the way down to his toes, pressing against Harvey. "Harvey, I'm ready - let me, please, let me." Mike was flushed, leaning toward Harvey as much as he could in his current position.

He wanted too much, and the longer he was denied the harder it was for him to keep that frustration inside.

"You don't have to keep waiting; I'm not going to break." The frustration working its way out of him, making what should have been a plea harder. "Let me show you, Harvey please. I want-" Mike dropped his head back against the door. "What are you waiting for?"

The pleading was fine, Harvey liked hearing it and it made it obvious that all of their play sessions were having the desired effect but then Mike got demanding and Harvey pulled back slowly, his grip tightening on his boy's wrists.

"Pardon me?" He said, his voice low and dangerous, one he hadn't had to use on Mike yet. Because usually he was needy and perfectly submissive, but this was new. "Did you just ask me what I'm waiting for and _question_ me?" Harvey asked, keeping Mike's wrists firmly held in one hand while the other dropped down to wrap loosely around his boy's throat.

"This little display? This is why we're waiting. Because you have no idea how to behave and you don't deserve my cock, boy," his voice hard and his hand tightening around Mike's neck just a little bit.

Mike felt the mood shift immediately, in the way Harvey pulled away from him, the tightening of his hands all before that tone of voice that let Mike know that he'd crossed a line.

Pressing his lips together, swallowed slowly, before he even thought about opening his mouth again, not until he could be sure that he wasn't going to say something immediately stupid, he couldn't promise nothing stupid but he'd try.

"I'm sorry - Harvey, I'm sorry. You just, you make me crazy." Mike said slowly. "I just," he paused licking his lips. "I can't think when we're like this and I just want to give you everything and you won't let me. I know I'm still new at this, but I can do it. I can if you'd let me."

Harvey's brow creased as he ran his thumb over Mike's wet bottom lip. His hands dropped from his body, turning and walking into the apartment. Sometimes Mike surprised him with the things he missed, when Harvey thought he'd made himself clear, Mike seemed to just totally miss the point and he was going to have to find a new way to try to make that information stick. "Come," he called over his shoulder, not wanting Mike to think he was being left behind.

Leaning back against the arm of the couch Harvey crossed his arms, clearly still displeased but not as much as he had been.

Even when he knew how he'd messed up, Mike couldn't keep himself from leaning toward Harvey when he was touched, like all he needed was to be touched by Harvey.

He followed Harvey when he was called. Mike dropped to his knees after Harvey sat down, needing the familiarity of the act after seeing the set of Harvey's shoulders, the way his arms were crossed. This wasn't something that was just going to be forgotten, or moved past, but he'd have to wait for whatever it was that Harvey had in store for him. The way he normally did, but hadn't been able to once tonight.

Mike knelt down without having to be asked and that redeemed him, a little bit, in Harvey's eyes. "Take your shirt off," he said quietly, which was normal request but his voice was still lacking a lot of its usual warmth.

"I know you can do it, of course you can. I bet you're excellent in bed and I bet you give delicious head, Mike. I'm so confident in that I haven't even considered it would be otherwise." Harvey said, resting his toes over the front of Mike's pants, pressing down making the boy whimper softly. "Of course you can, I know you can. But this is what I want, slow. I want you to be perfect before we get there and the fact that you're trying to demand anything from me shows how far you have to go." Harvey said, speaking low and clearly.

"I know you're wanting and so am I, but that's the way I like it, that's what's pleasing me at the moment and isn't that what you're for? Pleasing me?" Harvey asked, a little more gently this time, reaching out to softly stroke Mike's cheek.

While Harvey spoke, Mike started to see what he had missed, where he'd seen only Harvey holding back with him, when he should have seen Harvey making sure Mike was the way he wanted him first.

He nodded, closing his eyes and pressing into Harvey's hand on his cheek just briefly. "That's all I want, Harvey." He told him. "I just want to please you," It should have felt ridiculous he thought, to feel that so strongly, that it wasn't about the sex or anything else, he wanted to be able to please Harvey, and he'd felt how hard Harvey was, he'd thought it was what Harvey wanted, something Mike could give to him.

"You do please me, Mike. You please me every day. I don't need to come to enjoy you, it will be ridiculously fucking hot and I think about it all the time, but I'm doing it this way because this is what I want, because this is what's best and you need to trust that I do everything for a reason." Harvey said, having to remind himself that Mike was still learning trust and boundaries and that mistakes were to be expected.

"Take your shirt off, boy, and I won't ask you again," he said, his voice firm as he looked down into Mike's eyes.

Mike felt a bit like he was starting over again, like he didn't know exactly what he was doing, despite the number of times he'd been on his knees for Harvey or how often he'd been told to take off his clothes. "Yes, Sir." Mike nodded, realizing how caught up in all of this he had been letting himself get, focusing on this one mistake that he was making more. He pulled his shirt up over his head and dropped it beside him.

He tried not to let himself think about what he'd already done, instead just let himself focus on this moment, rather than trying so hard to guess what Harvey wanted he just waited for what it was he wanted.

"There we go, that's my boy," Harvey said gently, wanting to reassure him, calm him down, and get him back where he needed to be. Mike was sexy all the time, but Harvey really noticed it in moments like this, he couldn't do anything else. Smoothing his hands over Mike's shoulders he tipped his head back, his lips curled in a little smirk as he looked down at him.

"You need to learn control and I've been too lenient with you, you're lucky I don't send you to Troy for a real lesson, in fact you should thank me for keeping you to myself," Harvey said, holding Mike's head tipped right back with a firm hand in his hair. "From now on, you're not to come, at all. Not in the shower, not in your own bed, not here in my bathroom. Not at all. You will learn to control yourself, Mike. If you thought you were desperate before, it was nothing," Harvey said with a smile, loving the idea of dictating just what Mike could and couldn't do, even in the privacy of his own home.

"Thank you for keeping me to yourself." Mike said quickly and easily, despite the fact that Harvey probably wasn't actually angling for that, because that was something he most certainly he was thankful for, whether or not Harvey would have ever actually suggested it. It was one thing to joke about orgies with Lila, Troy and the rest of them, but it was only ever joking.

Mike exhaled in a rush when Harvey laid down this new rule. "Harvey-" Mike started and stopped himself, he could control himself if that was what Harvey wanted from him. He nodded or as much as he could with Harvey's hand still tight in his hair, trying to keep his voice even. "Yes, Sir."

It wasn't uncommon for a Dom to train a sub that wasn't their own, but just because it was acceptable, didn't mean that Harvey would ever share. "You have no idea how lucky you are that I'm a jealous, selfish bastard," Harvey said, bobbing down in front of Mike so they were meeting eye to eye. "That I wouldn't ever trade you or play with you in front of a whole lot of eager eyes, you should feel lucky that I want you all for me, Mike." Harvey told him, leaning in to place a gentle kiss in the corner of his mouth.

Mike knew very well how lucky he was, in so many ways but particularly with Harvey. That Harvey was possessive and jealous was part of what made Mike so irresistibly drawn to Harvey. Even now with Harvey's new rule Mike knew he was lucky.

Harvey had no idea what he would have done if Mike had argued the new rule, but lucky he didn't have to try to think of anything. "Good boy," he said softly, gazing into those beautiful blue eyes.

Slowly standing up he didn't feel like he'd quite got his point across, not just yet. "Stand," he commanded, tugging softly at Mike's hair. "You've got two choices. One, I take you over my lap and spank your lovey ass with my hand forty times, or two, I use a ruler, you're bent over the couch, but it's only ten times." Harvey said, already slowly rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

He got to his feet at Harvey's word, and then considered the options he had. On the one hand the first meant Harvey's hands on him, and on the other hand the second was shorter. Honestly Mike wasn't sure what the better option was, and watching Harvey roll his sleeves up made it even harder for Mike to think about it rationally.

"I, I don't -" Mike licked his lips. "First, the first one." It was probably stupid, but Mike wanted Harvey's hands on him and if he was meant to be learning self-control then this would be a very good time to practice it.

It was clear by the look on Harvey's face that Mike had made the right choice, he was proud and it showed. "Even when you've been bad, you're always so good for me, kid," Harvey said, rewarding Mike's choice by undoing his jeans for him and even going to for as to help him get totally out of them and his underwear.

Sitting back in the center of the couch he looked at Mike and then at his lap expectantly. But it was obvious how having Mike naked made his cheeks heat up just a little bit and he was licking his lips because of the gorgeous view.

"If you do well and you're nice and quiet? I'll let you take my shirt off for the first time," Harvey said. As much as he'd seen Mike naked plenty of times by now, he'd never even let the boy see or touch his bare chest so Harvey thought that was a rather good reward.

Mike was never going to survive this, Harvey's hands on him and the idea that he might have the opportunity to take Harvey's shirt off as well - he nodded. "Yes, Sir." It seemed the safest thing to say at that point, when Mike felt so tightly wound.

He laid himself across Harvey's lap at the expectant look Harvey gave him, not needing to be told what he should do in this case. Even with his clothes on Mike could feel the warmth of Harvey's body beneath his, how close they were despite Harvey's insistence on going slowly, to make sure Mike was where he wanted him before they continued to move forward. There was a delicate balance there for Mike, between the things his body craved when he was with Harvey to that much deeper need to be what Harvey would have him become. Mike felt like he was always on that line, Harvey was right, he needed more self-control.

It was almost too much having Mike across his lap and he realized this was going to be a challenge for his own sense of self-control as well, they both needed this. Harvey allowed himself a moment to stroke of the smooth planes of Mike's back, then over the most perfect ass he'd ever seen. He tried not to linger too long, stroking his legs, strong from that damn bike he insisted on riding everywhere.

Harvey brought his hand down firmly on the curve of Mike's ass, the slap ringing out loudly in the silent room. Each was as strong as the last and he spanked him five times before pausing, stroking over the heated skin lovingly, then back over his back and his legs.

The feeling of Harvey's hand on his skin, slow and steady, made it hard for Mike to remember how pressing for more hadn't ended well for him earlier. He couldn't remember ever feeling for anyone what he felt for Harvey and it was all just a swirling mess of emotion laced with lust and desire and need, making that self-control thing he should be working on that much harder.

Of course it was easier to sort things out when Harvey started to spank him, the first startling him pulling a shocked sound from his mouth before he pressed his lips together again. But then it all came pressing back in on him again feeling how Harvey's hand was warmer then, as was his own skin.

Mike closed his eyes, and laid his head down, trying his best to focus on Harvey's hand and nothing else.

Mike handled it much better than Harvey expected and he was so proud; there was no screeching, no moaning, apart from the initial shock. "Good boy," he whispered, before he was back at it, making sure every stroke was even and hard.

When he got to twenty he let Mike recover again, sliding the tip of one of his fingers down to circle his boy's entrance, the tense muscle, wanting to drive him out of his mind. One day he'd let himself have more of this, more of everything, but now he was just trying to push Mike higher.

"And I haven't even had to gag you, you're doing so good," he whispered, admiring the way Mike's ass was stained so beautifully red.

Mike's breathing was harsh, though he'd managed to keep himself quiet for the most part. It was getting harder though, he hadn't expected how much he'd actually like being spanked by Harvey. It hurt of course, it felt like something that would linger long after this was over as a reminder, but at the same time each hard strike of Harvey's hand twisted that thread of desire inside of him.

He couldn't help the whimpering moan he made at Harvey's wandering fingers though, despite the whispered words. Those pressing circling fingers made him arch his back and lift his hips and at the same time press his forehead against the couch, fingers clenching and releasing sporadically, Mike tried to tell himself it wouldn't help matters, wouldn't give him the release his body wanted, but his body didn't seem to be interested in listening.

"Jesus, Harvey - please." He bit off anything further that might have tried to come out, but Mike couldn't pretend he wasn't affected by Harvey, it would have been pointless, Harvey had to feel just how hard Mike was in that moment.

"Control, my boy, control, I know you can do it," he whispered lovingly, leaning down and sucking an angry looking purple bruise onto Mike's shoulder blade. He withdrew his finger, which was difficult because yes, he was tempted, how could he not be?

But that wasn't the point of the exercise. He finished off the final twenty strokes slowly, enjoying how it was starting to hurt his palm, making it easy to imagine how Mike was feeling. When he was done he stroked Mike's back softly, knowing this could bring out all kinds of emotions in him and that it was his job to be there for him now.

When it was over Mike was trembling, he could feel it - the thrum of his body while laid across Harvey's lap. He felt exhausted, like he'd run a marathon or biked across town trying not to be late again. How could something like this feel so completely and utterly draining? Mike didn't understand it, but it was just one of those facts that floated around past his mind because there were other more important things to consider in this moment.

He felt laid bare just feeling everything that had just happened to him, more so than simply a side effect of his state of dress (or lack thereof) but more in the way he didn't feel the need to pull in on himself. He didn't, couldn't, hide from Harvey like this. It was like floating and yet so much more intense than that had ever been before. It was arousal and pain and Harvey right there, all mixed together running over heightened senses and tugging Mike along with it, trying to make some sort of sense of it.

Mike turned his face toward Harvey, pressing in close, as much as he could in his current position, not sure there were words for this yet, he just needed to be close to Harvey, his Harvey.

He could tell by how Mike was shaking and trying to cuddle into his legs what was going on and Harvey smiled down at him. Slowly unbuttoning his shirt he slipped the material off and hung it over the arm of the couch.

Harvey gently turned Mike over, knowing his ass would be sore but it would be worth it once they were more comfortable. Gathering Mike up in his arms he looked down into his eyes, knowing his face was practically shining with pride. "Mike, you did so well, I am so proud of you and you are beautiful," Harvey whispered, stroking his hair back from his face.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, leaning in to press their lips together in a tender kiss.

Mike had pressed himself against Harvey as much as he could with this new change of position, and it was just so damn good, to have Harvey there with him, knowing that he'd done well for him. He leaned into the kiss Harvey gave him, just another way to be close before Harvey pulled away from him.

Some vague part of his mind was aware that Harvey had asked him something, and slowly he pulled the question back and tried to find the words that seemed to evade him. "Tired," He said first. "good, sore, comfortable, happy." There was a lot he was feeling apparently, and trying to find the words to describe all of it was harder than Mike had anticipated.

"It's good," Mike decided finally, something to sum it all up as best as he could for the moment.

It was the first time Harvey had gotten to feel Mike pressed against his bare chest, arms, stomach and he loved it, he was glad he'd torn away that barrier. Harvey turned so he could lay back, putting his feet up and making himself comfortable against the pillows.

"These are all normal and very good," Harvey assured him, smiling as he stroked his face. "You were amazing, you really were," he whispered, rolling over so he could have Mike pressed between his body and the couch. "Are you warm enough?" Harvey asked, having to remember everything he'd been taught about being a good Dom and not getting caught up in the moment himself.

Mike went easily letting Harvey put him where he wanted him, more than happy to go. Pinned against the back of the couch with Harvey at his front was certainly something he could stand to have more of.

"It's like, like there is so much." Mike tried to explain it to Harvey, "I don't have the right words for it, can you believe that?" Mike found that thought to be more than a little amusing at the moment, considering he had a great deal of the dictionary stored in his mind and yet with all of that knowledge he couldn't find the word. It made his shoulders shake with suppressed laughter.

Tucking his arms between them, Mike pressed close to Harvey, feeling like even with a layer of fabric removed from between them he still couldn't quite get as close as he really wanted. "M'okay," He said, softly, at least for the moment. "Later - later a blanket would be good, or you, you're very warm."

Watching Mike shake with laughter over not finding the right words to describe how he was feeling made Harvey smile, the giggles and the snuggling, was all perfectly normal and pretty adorable as well.

Harvey grabbed his shirt from above his head, draping it over Mike's exposed shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere," he said as he stretched out, hand coming to rest possessively on Mike's hip. "I had other plans for tonight you know, why doesn't it surprise me that with you nothing ever goes to plan?" Harvey said as he rolled his eyes.

He didn't think he'd ever been so hard, his cock pressed up almost painfully against the zip of his pants. But it had almost gone above arousal, into something else entirely and forcing himself to wait just made it all the sweeter. Mike's face looked like it was glowing and Harvey felt honored that he'd done that, made his boy feel so much. "You have no idea how many times I've wanted to do that," Harvey said with a smirk. "That you've really, really deserved that."

"I've deserved that before?" Mike asked slowly, looking up at Harvey, not entirely sure how to take that statement. Though he supposed he probably had, thinking of times at the office when he had snapped, Mike was sure there were times and yet this was the first.

"Yes, you really have," Harvey assured him, thinking back to the times he'd wanted to take Mike over his knee and teach him the control he so desperately needed. Because he was young and eager but he still had so far to go both as a sub and as a lawyer and Harvey wanted to help him get there.

He breathed out slowly and pressed his face against Harvey's chest, nuzzling in against his collar bone. He'd needed this, as much as he hated disappointing Harvey, being anything less than what Harvey wanted, Harvey was there to correct him, to remind him of what he should be doing and to help point him back in the right direction again. It was just one more reminder that they were both in this, it wasn't just something they were playing at while it was convenient for them, this was them both putting time and effort into this thing that they wanted. "Thank you."

Harvey smiled, letting Mike nuzzle up to him and have whatever he wanted now as he floated around in the afterglow of what had happened. "You're welcome, Mike." Harvey told him gently. "You're getting so good and you've come so far, I just want you to know how proud I am that you choose to belong to me," he said, carding his fingers through Mike's hair.

It was easy in that moment to just let the world condense again and be about them, nothing else. Harvey keeping Mike warm and safe while Mike showed him that maybe sometimes a few feelings weren't the worst thing that had ever happened.

* * *

There was never an end to the sheer amount of things that Mike had to fill his life, there was work (with it's almost never ending briefs and contracts and loopholes), and the time he spent with Harvey (which was perfect and wonderful that Mike never could get enough of), and those nights when he got time to visit Lila (filled with brownies and laughing and totally worth the long bike ride to get there), and of course Grammy. Even with all the other things vying for his time Mike always made time for his gran.

He wouldn't have had any of this if it wasn't for her in a way, first simply by needing the money to make sure she was well taken care of, and then her encouragement to stick it out when all Mike had wanted to do was quit. He owed her so much, and even now when he was supposed to be the one taking care of her she was still looking out for him.

So he enjoyed these times he got to spend with her, usually on the weekends, it was easier to make time then when the firm didn't actually own all his time.

They caught up on their weeks, Mike telling her about cases and the insanity that his life had become, he told her about Lila and Troy, and he laughed with her while she told him about her week. It was good, it was comforting, and it was the one connection with his past that he really needed.

"One day I'm not going to be quite so busy, or maybe I just pretend that I'm not so busy - I haven't actually figured that part out yet." He was telling her, because one day he wouldn't be an associate anymore, he'd be a partner, a Junior Partner sure, but it was better than an associate and it was working his way up that ladder. "But it's going to happen and then I might actually have something more to tell you about than endless paperwork." He grinned.

Nancy would always love her grandson; it wasn't something that you could just turn off, regardless of what had happened. She'd raised Mike and that had made their bond something much more than a normal relationship between a boy and his grandparent. All she wanted was for Mike to focus and use his abilities for something, he was so gifted and seeing him get this amazing job and stick at it had made her feel like maybe things were changing for him.

He seemed so happy, like the challenge was making him a better person in everything he did. But Nancy knew better, she knew about a smile like that and a glow to a person's cheeks. No job could do that.

"You're always going to be busy; I was busy when I was young too." Nancy said with a smile, placing her hand over Mike's. "Relaxing is for when you're old like me," she added. "But I look forward to hearing all your stories, paperwork or not."

"It's been good though, really good." The words just a little more packed with underlying emotion than Mike had originally intended but there all the same.

Nancy smiled knowingly, watching Mike's face. "How good?"

"Really good." Mike said grinning again, because that was really the best way to describe it, at least to keep himself from turning into some horrible cliché. "It just, it feels like things are finally starting to work out for once." He told her.

She'd been there with him through everything, his shelter after his parents had been killed, and there watching over him while he finished school and attempting to keep him out of trouble, despite Trevor's influence. She'd supported him even after he'd lost his scholarship, though that had been a particularly hard time for Mike - he hadn't wanted to see just how disappointed she was in him after that stunt.

And even when he'd started taking tests for other people and had let his life slowly slip further and further away from him, she'd still been his biggest support always reminding him that he could do better.

Now, for the first time Mike was really letting himself see that. It wasn't just something she had to say because she was his grandmother, or simply because she loved him. It was, and always had been the truth. He could do better than the life he had been living, and being here now was proof of that.

"You were right." He told her, "Trevor and - and all of that was an anchor, I just never wanted to see it before." It was hard to admit, so much of his previous life had been his own fault. It would have been easy to blame it on others, on Trevor, and on the drugs, but it was all his own doing all he'd had to do was cut himself free of that anchor and suddenly he could break the surface again. "And you never gave up on me." It was hard to believe sometimes, that she could have been so steadfast, and yet here they were. Mike took her hand in both of his, squeezing gently. "I'd never have been able to do this without you."

Nancy had spent so many years just watching Mike fall apart, be stripped of every one of his gifts, just to end up hollow and tied to someone who was never going to amount to anything. She'd watched him almost drown in a pool of wasted potential. But that didn't mean she'd stopped believing in him, or loving him. Family wasn't something you could pick and choose, you loved them regardless of their screw ups.

She knew she was lucky that he'd changed, hadn't kept to the path he'd been on. Of course Nancy didn't know exactly what he'd been doing in the past, she didn't even want to know, of that much she was entirely sure – and Mike had never seemed to be in a hurry to tell her either, so it worked out for both of them. But now she didn't have to worry anymore, Mike was safe and happy and that's all she'd ever wanted for him.

"You're a good person, you give too many chances, it would be admirable if it didn't get you in to so much trouble," Nancy said. Stoking her thumb over the back of Mike's hand she smiled, she couldn't help it, not when he looked so happy. "Of course not, Mike," she said, bringing his hands up so she could kiss the back of one. "You can do anything, that's never been the problem." Nancy said knowingly.

"Maybe." Mike agreed. It was all just a matter of finding the right thing to do - instead of following blindly after someone who was leading him down the wrong path.

"Still, you helped." That much he knew for certain. Maybe he could have done this on his own, but he'd needed her to help him stick with it. She had been that little voice of encouragement when Mike had been so good at talking himself out of anything that could have helped to turn his life around. "You can't deny that you've got skills." He chuckled, because despite training with Harvey, and working in an actual professional setting day after day Mike couldn't help hanging on to that ridiculous frat boy lingo he liked so much.

"Up top." He said, with a wide grin holding his hand up for a high five. Grammy was so good at humoring him, and he loved her for it.

"I invented skills, man," she said with a little laugh. It was silly, but it made Mike smile and it had once been the only thing that could.

Nancy gave him a high five, holding out her hand so he could return it. "Down low," she said as she raised her eyebrows at him. In fact high fives had become her favorite way to greet nurses and it certainly made her feel a little bit less like a silly old lady.

Harvey was early to arrive and he'd thought about waiting in the car, but okay, he was curious about Mike's family and he thought he could at least have a look at the facility that Mike had wanted to keep his grandmother in so much that he'd almost gotten himself arrested for it.

A nurse directed him to the right room and he stood in the doorway watching the display with an easy smile. He'd never had anyone in his family who he related to so easily, who seemed so content and happy to spend time together. It was nice, to see Mike there, happy and with someone who clearly wasn't a bad influence.

"So this is where you get it from, huh?" Harvey said, clearing his throat gently.

Mike spun around at that familiar voice behind him, to find Harvey standing in the door. Perhaps weeks ago, it would have seemed strange, Harvey slowly working himself into every corner of his life, and yet here sitting with Grammy he couldn't help but be glad for it.

The two most important people in his life in the same room.

"Harvey," Mike got to his feet, turning so he could look at them both. He hadn't actually expected Harvey to come in, and yet there he was, looking perfect as he always did. "Grammy, this is Harvey Specter. I work for him; I've told you about the torturous amounts of paperwork he saddles me with all the time." Mike said as he introduced Harvey to his grandmother, smirking briefly when he flashed a grin in Harvey's direction.

"And this is Grammy, aka Nancy Ross, the most awesome grandmother you're ever going to meet." He told Harvey. Maybe it should have been weird, introducing his boss to his grandmother, but it just seemed right to Mike.

Nancy hadn't noticed anyone in the doorway until he spoke and that had her reaching for her glasses. She'd heard Mike talk about work and Harvey Specter and she worried how he spoke with that same tone of awe he'd once used to Trevor.

She had no idea why Mike's boss would be here, of all places, while she was in her dressing gown but he was of course welcome. "Mr. Specter, I've heard a lot about you, Mike talks too much, so that's not all that surprising," she teased gently. "It's nice to meet you."

Harvey smiled at Mike, shaking his head when he mentioned the paperwork. He wanted to lay his arm around his boy's shoulders, but all he could think of was how Jenny had said, over and over again, that the idea of the two of them together would kill his grandmother. He didn't want to upset anyone, if he could avoid it.

"Mrs. Ross, call me Harvey, please, it's a pleasure," he said with a smile, stepping into the room to take her hand and slide into the seat Mike had just vacated. "I've been meaning to come by and ask you, is there an off switch? Or at least a mute button?"

"Still right here," Mike said shaking his head at the pair of them, honestly only Harvey could manage something like this - meeting his grandmother for the first time and all ready teasing Mike with her. It wasn't fair. "You know in case either of you had forgotten that fact."

"And no, for the record I don't have an off switch or a mute button, in case you get any ideas." Mike said, though all Harvey had to do was tell him to be quiet and it was just as effective as any mute button would have been, still the point remained.

Having Harvey there made Mike want to tell his gran what was going on between them, how amazing Harvey was, how much Mike loved belonging to him, but at the same time he couldn't help that little twinge of fear - that maybe Jenny had been right. He didn't think she was, Grammy had supported him for years he couldn't see this being the thing that would stop that, but that seed of doubt had been placed in his mind. He'd give it some time, maybe he could talk Harvey into visiting a few more times - just to get her used to him before they said anything.

He'd have to think about it.

Harvey talked with Nancy easily, first about Mike and then about New York, then about how he'd grown up in Iowa and that's where Nancy's parents had been from. They got along wonderfully and Nancy liked him, he seemed honest and like a good person and it was obvious how much the two men cared about each other, even if they thought they were hiding it.

Standing up Harvey shook Nancy's hand again, smiling at her as he gave it a squeeze. "It was lovely to meet you and I hope you'll take me up on my offer to go out for dinner soon, I could use a hot date," he said, finally letting go of her hand as he stepped away.

"I'll meet you at the car, if you like?" Harvey said to Mike, but he was already striding out of the room to give the two time to say goodbye.

By the time Harvey was out of sight Nancy just looked at Mike expectantly, sitting back in her chair.

Mike watched Harvey go briefly before he turned back to his grandmother. "That was - unexpected." He said slowly grinning though, because it had gone so well despite all of that. Harvey and his grandmother got on amazingly and Mike couldn't help but be glad for it.

"He's a good guy." Mike told her, though he felt like that was obvious from the way Harvey spoke. "Who knows, you two seemed to enjoy yourselves so much he might come by again." Without Harvey there Mike could feel nerves setting in, and he hoped this wouldn't end up being just one huge mistake.

Nancy didn't pry. If Mike didn't want to talk about something, or wanted to keep something from her, she let him. She didn't try to get information out of him he didn't want to give and she thought that it was better that way, for both of them.

"He seems like a nice man," Nancy agreed, speaking slowly like she was waiting for something. "Would he be coming by again for me or for you, Mike?" She asked, deciding maybe she needed to push him, just a little bit. Sometimes Mike needed the extra encouragement and she'd been giving it to him his entire life.

Mike nodded because for all the walls Harvey worked to put up around everyone else Mike had seen how good a man he was, and he knew it all the way down to the center of him. And he loved that Harvey had let his grandmother see that as well. It was important to him that she know that too - even if that was all she knew.

But then his grandmother had always been able to see more than she let on most of the time, giving Mike the opportunity to tell her things himself rather than confronting him about them. And this proved to be no different. He glanced back at the door briefly wishing that Harvey had stayed for just a moment and then back at his grandmother.

"Maybe for both of us." He said finally, fingers curling against the back of his neck - he could have drawn it out, he was pretty sure she would have let him do that. Let him pretend for a while longer that nothing was happening between him and Harvey, but he didn't want to lie and he really did want her to know. "I didn't mean for it to happen, it just - he's a good man." Mike said again, repeating that by now well established fact. "He means a lot to me, he makes me happy, makes me better." Mike told her.

Nancy looked at him for a moment, at the way he seemed nervous, maybe even scared, compared to how happy he'd been moments earlier with Harvey in the room. She was relieved when he didn't try to deny it though; it was nice to hear the truth right from Mike's mouth, to know that he trusted her with something that was clearly difficult for him.

"I never wanted great-grandchildren," Nancy said after a moment, smiling at him easily. "No one ever means for it to happen, Mike. It just happens and I'm just happy it's happened for you," she added as she slid her glasses off and set them back down on the table. "Tell him I'd love to have dinner with you both."

And like that it was all so much easier to breathe, his fears and doubts about this pushed away right along with Jenny's words. It was going to be okay.

Mike got up and leaned down to hug her, perhaps a little more tightly than he should before he released her again. He crouched there by her chair a hand on hers. "I'll let him know and we'll make it happen." He assured her, lingering for a moment longer. "I should go, I'll be back next week and I'll call about dinner." He promised. "Don't give the nurses too much trouble." He said after they'd said their goodbyes and he headed back down the hall to the entrance.

He was quiet when he reached Harvey, sitting a little closer than he might have any other time. "I told her." He said after a few moments, and a slow smile spread across his face. "She said we should go to dinner."

Harvey didn't mind waiting, he had the paper and he doubted he'd have to sit here too long. The door opened and Mike slid in, Ray pulling away from the curb the moment his door was closed. His eyebrows practically disappeared into his hairline when Mike said he'd told her and he folded the paper, unable but do anything but prepare himself for the worst.

But Mike smiled and said that she wanted to go to dinner and Harvey gave a sigh of relief. He slid his arm around his boy's shoulders, relaxing back into the seat. The only way to express how he was feeling was to turn his head and give him a deep lingering kiss.

"I'll set something up," he said happily, unable to keep the grin off his face. "I knew she was a smart woman."

This felt right, and Mike couldn't help but be relieved that he'd told her and that things had worked out, showing him that the fear he'd felt hadn't been necessary. Things were going to work out just fine. "She is a very smart woman." Mike agreed, leaning into Harvey's side.

It had been silly to think Jenny could be right, that his happiness would hurt his grandmother. This was a good thing, Harvey was good for him and the longer they were together the better Mike got, there wasn't anything wrong with this.

"So, putting the moves on my grandmother to impress her?" He asked after a moment with a teasing smirk.

"What can I say, I'm a charmer, women love me," he said with a laugh, leaning in to kiss that smirk right off Mike's lips.

* * *

Things weren't too hectic at work and Harvey was planning on keeping Mike to himself for the entire afternoon if not the whole weekend. But there were still a few cases he wanted to go over but seeing as it was the weekend he thought they'd enjoy a nice lunch first. Plus good food was going to make working all the easier. After they'd gone to lunch they headed back to Harvey's condo, where he thanked Ray and told him he wouldn't need him again until Monday morning. He spread the files over the table and set down his coffee, having been ready to start when his phone rang.

Harvey paused, looking down at the screen for a moment, debating if he should pick up at all. He silenced the ringing and put it down, but it rang again and then again when he didn't answer and Harvey pinched the bridge of his nose before he picked up.

"Hi, Ma." He said quietly, looking up at the ceiling.

Mike had more than enough to keep him busy for the rest of the afternoon, despite it being the weekend - but that was just the way things were and he didn't mind it much - particularly not when he had Harvey there with him while he worked. It wasn't unusual for Harvey to get calls on the weekend and Mike didn't think anything of it, not until Harvey answered it.

He couldn't help the way he looked up, Harvey never talked about his family, and Mike hadn't pried, but here they were all the same. Harvey didn't looked exactly pleased by the call, so Mike stayed quiet, biting his lower lip and dividing his attention between the file in his lap and casting occasional glances at Harvey while he talked into the phone.

"I'm good, I'm busy, I've got a big ca-" Harvey was cut off and he stood up heading towards the window so he could put some space between himself and Mike. "Yes, Ma. Busy. My job is important. No, I don't work too hard I just-" he sighed, leaning his forehead up against the window. "You're slurring," he said quietly, knowing just by the way she said hello that she was drunk, but that was hardly surprising. "I'm busy, Ma, I'm too busy to talk about this right now, just tell me what you want. What? Of course you want something. I know you, Joanna, you can't surprise me." Harvey hit his head gently against the window as he listened to his mother rant down the phone at him. "You're drunk, it's only 3pm. Yeah, well, you were drunk when he was alive, too. Or don't you remember that?" Harvey spoke as quietly as possible, his shoulders tense.

"Ma, I am not going to keep talking about this, just tell me what you want," Harvey paused, standing up straight again. "Dad has a new wife and kids of his own, it's not his responsibility to babysit you, now just tell me how much." He finished, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Fine, I'll put it in your account right now. No, I don't care what it's for. I've got to go, bye Ma," he said quickly before hanging up the phone.

He didn't return to the couch though, didn't move just dropped his phone into his pocket and looked out over the city.

Mike couldn't hear much of what Harvey said, but he'd heard enough, and he saw from the set of his shoulders how talking with his mother affected him. It would have been impossible not to see that the conversation was not one Harvey wanted to be having. Mike didn't like seeing him like that, trying to stay calm and the resignation in his voice at the same time.

When Harvey didn't come back to the couch, Mike stayed for just a few moments before he got up. He moved carefully, he would let Harvey decide if this was something he wanted to talk about or not, what he did instead was offered what he could. Coming up behind Harvey Mike leaned his forehead against Harvey's shoulder, arms wrapping around him from behind and wished there was more he could do - wished he knew more about Harvey's family so he could understand now, or offer some sort of words to Harvey.

But he didn't have any, and so he stayed quiet, where he was, without pressure or insistence.

He heard Mike moving and sighed when he felt the comforting weight and warmth settle against his back. "You can ask," Harvey told him, because he really didn't know where to start and it felt like Mike's unasked questions were hanging awkwardly between them.

But thanks to Mike's arms he relaxed a little bit, leaning back against him. He was angry, upset and disappointed, but he really wasn't surprised, he was used to his dysfunctional family.

"Are you alright?" Mike asked first, speaking to Harvey's shoulder, without moving, just waiting that being the most important thing, the rest - Harvey's family and whatever history that was there wasn't as important as Harvey.

"I'm alright," Harvey said softly, stroking his hand across Mike's arm where it was curled around him. He felt like he was the one who was supposed to be looking after his boy and not the other way around.

And only after he was sure that Harvey was going to be alright did Mike ask, the conversation, whatever the dynamic was between Harvey and his mother – all of that was unimportant until Mike knew Harvey was okay. "That was your mother?"

Talking about his family was not something he really wanted to do, but it was just really hard to keep Mike in the dark about anything. "Yes. My folks live back in Iowa. My mom's a drunk and my dad has a new family," Harvey said before he stopped himself by pursing his lips together.

Mike nodded it wasn't really until this moment that he realized how very little he knew about Harvey's past - at least about his family and the people who might have been important to him at one point. "Do you ever see them?" He asked, trying to figure out what had happened. It was easy enough to understand why Harvey might not spend much time with his mother if she was a drunk, but he didn't know what to think about Harvey's father.

He wondered what that would have been like, to have parents that you never talked to - parents who were still alive that you never talked about. Things might have been tense in Mike's family before his parents had died, but he didn't think he could have gotten to the point Harvey seemed to be at now. But maybe, if the conditions were right. "You never talk about them."

"I used to go home now and then, but no, I don't see them anymore," Harvey said, shaking his head slowly. "My dad got remarried and has two kids, they're both young still, he and I don't talk very often and I've never met her or them," he said with a little shrug.

He avoided the topic of his family, preferring people to believe he just came into the world like this, not produced by anyone. "I know. There's really nothing to say. My brother died, my parents finally got a divorce and there was no reason to go back there again," Harvey explained.

There was a lot to say Mike thought, but he didn't say that. Harvey had obviously made the story something that wasn't much to tell because he didn't want to deal with it, and Mike could respect that. He knew what it was like to have problems with your family, to not want to talk about it, even to the people you were closest to.

"I didn't know you had a brother." Mike said slowly. "Will you tell me about him?" He asked, knowing it was a tender subject, and Harvey very well may not want to say anything more about it, but Mike thought he should at least ask.

Mike was just a warm constant at his back, not pushing too hard, but a little bit insistent and he gave a little chuckle. "Yeah, I'll tell you," he said quietly, unwinding Mike's arms and turning around to face him.

"He was really smart, smarter than me, probably smarter than you. Harrison. I have no idea why my parents decided to give us both H names, but they did," Harvey said, leaning back against the windows and sliding his hands into his pockets. "He was my older brother, by four years and he was an addict. I think some days he just didn't want to live in his own head, that there was just so much going on up there that he wanted to dumb it down. He wasted it, all of his gifts and he died in a gutter with a needle in his arm, Mike." Harvey said, running his fingers through his hair. "He stole from me, he beat me up and he never listened, never got help and never wanted it."

Harvey knew he had a screwed up family, but he'd never let it hold him back. Sure he'd never really learned how to trust another person, except for Donna and Jessica, but lots of people had suffered through much worse upbringings than him.

Mike knew that feeling - of wanting quiet in your own head. He'd joked with Harvey when he first met him, about spending time with people who weren't as smart as he was to see how the rest of the world lived, in truth he'd gotten high so he didn't have to think about most of the things he knew. Drugs had been the one thing that would help to calm what had often been only chaos in his mind in the past.

"You're not them." Mike said after a few quiet moments, thinking about Harvey's family. His mother who called and made Harvey tense with frustration, a father who had made a new family, and his brother who had been too stubborn right until he died. He thought about what that might have been like, to have that kind of a family. And he saw how Harvey dealt with it. He'd put up walls and he didn't talk about it and he didn't visit them. They were there, but they weren't - safely kept at a distance. "They might be your family, but you're not them."

"You know, sometimes, sometimes I wondered about what it would be like to have a family again, to have had my parents around longer. I wondered what my dad might have thought about the man I became. I spent a lot of time thinking about that - about people who weren't there anymore. It took me a long time to realize just because they were gone didn't mean I suddenly didn't have a family." Mike was doing his rambling thing, talking about something that he thought might fit the current situation and hoped wasn't just him running off at the mouth saying things that Harvey didn't want to hear. "I had Grammy, and she did the best she could with me even when I was an idiot. And there was Trevor and Jenny later, and they might not have been good for me but they both cared in their own ways. And now..." Mike shrugged. "Now I'm working on that family again, I've got you, and Lila has already threatened to adopt me more than once. I think the rest of them might even come around eventually." He told Harvey. "Family isn't always the people we're born to - sometimes it's what we make it."

Harvey listened to Mike rant, he was good at that but Harvey knew that it came from a place of caring, that when he cared too much about something he had trouble making concise sentences. "I know I'm not them. I was the first person in my family to go to college, to leave home and never look back. Jessica gave me a chance at the life I'd always wanted and then I worked my ass off for it." Harvey said with a little shrug.

Reaching out he grabbed Mike gently, with both hands curling in the material of his shirt and pulling him to him. "You know what? For someone who takes a really long time to say anything at all, you almost always get there in the end," Harvey said with a small smile as he kissed Mike on the end of the nose.

"You do have me, you know," he said quietly, his gaze intense as he looked in to Mike's eyes. "And I have all the family I need, kid."

"I know I do." Mike smiled wide and happy because that much at least he knew for certain. "Besides you're stuck with me now whether you like it or not. So it's in your best interest that you agree."

Harvey's family and his feelings about them and their continued interactions were going to take much more than a single afternoon to sort through, but Mike knew about them now - and the next time something came up he'd be able to, if not say something, then perhaps feel of a least a little more use to Harvey then than he did today.

"Do you want to keep working?" He asked there was still plenty to keep them busy, though he wound his arms around Harvey again; leaning into him while they stood there together, happy with whatever it was Harvey decided.

Harvey laughed, kissing Mike softly. "Not really, let's put the game on, I've got some beer in the fridge and I think there are some chips in the cupboard," he said, stroking Mike's hair back from his forehead. "I do enjoy any excuse to watch the Red Sox lose."

* * *

In the past the longer a relationship lasted, the more trouble Harvey had with it. They got clingy, or they got sick of him putting his job first, or they wanted more from him than he was ready or willing to give. But things with Mike were everything but trouble, it wasn't always easy to handle each other at work, but they were getting better at that with practice.

Mike seemed as addicted to serving Harvey as he was to having Mike serve him and the more they got to know each other's personalities and likes and wants, the more this thing between them grew. It was starting to become almost unconscious, the way Harvey stood half a step in front of Mike, keeping him just behind his arm. Or how just the right look could get Mike on his knees or naked or just make him shut his damn mouth.

In fact Harvey had even given Mike a key to the condo, so that he could come and go without Harvey always needing there to let him in. It was a first for them both but it just felt convenient and practical, seeing as they were sharing the space so much at the moment.

It was a Friday though, and Harvey had left Mike at the office to have drinks with a client and dinner with Jessica, knowing that he'd still get to spend some time alone with his favorite record at home before Mike would be finished for the day.

When Mike did finish for the night it was late, he was tired and ready for the weekend. Even if weekends had stopped being two whole days free of work. No, he'd long since given up the delusion that he'd ever really have whole weekends again while he worked for Pearson Hardman. But the weekend meant Harvey, uninterrupted time with Harvey that lasted longer than just a few hours and Mike couldn't help but enjoy the weekends for that fact alone.

It was still just a little exciting that he had his own key to Harvey's condo too, Mike was sure there would be a day when he stopped being endlessly amused by the addition to his keyring, but today was not that day.

"One day, Louis is just going to have to get used to the idea that I'm your associate." Mike lamented when he found Harvey. "Or maybe you could remind him that I didn't become your associate just to spite him." Mike suggested, sitting down beside Harvey on the couch and sighing. It was the sort of good natured grumbling that Mike often did, not because he was particularly stressed about the work, or that anything out of the ordinary had happened, but grousing about one's job was the right of every employed person in the world, in Mike's mind.

"He's jealous, I'm sure he'll punish you as long as possible for being brighter and prettier than him," Harvey said, rolling his eyes. As much as he wanted to be able to do something about the apparent claim Louis thought he had on Mike, he knew that it was useless. The more he acted like he didn't like it when Louis went for Mike, the more that slimy bastard was going to do it. It was lose, lose.

"Hi," Mike said and grinned. "How was dinner?"

"Hello," Harvey replied, stretching from where he'd been reclining comfortably and unwinding from his week. "It was good, Jessica said to me that I should be cautious about my personal responsibilities but that she was glad that I seemed to be learning about having the best of both worlds," he said with a chuckle. "So I think as long as we're careful, we're in the clear," he said as he gently gripped the back of Mike's neck, rubbing his thumb up and down to loosen the tension there.

"Wait," Mike said slowly, unable to help the way he'd tensed despite the way Harvey's thumb soothed against his skin. "Does that mean she knows? About us? She knows about us?" Mike was pretty sure that there had been a short circuit in his brain somewhere; maybe all that time spent on his bike really was getting to him, even with the helmet.

"And … she's okay with it?" He finished, that seemed to be what he heard but Mike was suddenly not sure at all. He'd come over to spend time with Harvey, complain about paperwork and Louis the way he always did and then they'd move on, he had not been expecting this. "I think I missed a step somewhere."

Harvey laughed, he couldn't help it, the look on Mike's face looked like he was about to have a stroke. "Jessica Pearson knows everything, Mike. She knows every single thing that happens in that office. Just because she doesn't admit she knows, doesn't mean she doesn't. As long as there is no real evidence and no one else knows, she'll keep it to herself," he said with a shrug, rubbing a little bit harder with his thumb.

"There is nothing to worry about, I wouldn't say that she's okay with it, she just thinks it's none of her business and as long as it doesn't affect work, we're safe," Harvey said, his fingers rubbing up over the base of Mike's skull. "Relax, my boy."

Mike closed his eyes for a moment, letting that sink in. Jessica knew, because Jessica knew everything. So long as it didn't interfere with business things would be okay. He focused on the feeling of Harvey's fingers rubbing at the back of his neck, sure and focused. When he opened his eyes again he nodded, "Yes, Sir."

"I wasn't exactly expecting that to be the topic of conversation when you said you were having dinner with Jessica tonight." Mike said, but he wasn't as tense as he had been a moment ago, a little freaked out perhaps, but he thought that might have been justified given that the Managing Partner at his firm knew he was involved with a Senior Partner. But there they were, Mike relaxing while Harvey stroked him, some things were just strange and he'd have to live with it.

"We don't talk about our personal lives; it was just a passing comment, Mike. She wants me to know she knows and that I should be careful, that's all," he said, rolling his eyes at the way Mike seemed to be freaking out over this. "You know that I've taken care of you if something was to happen at work and you were let go, right? Before we even started this I made sure I had another job lined up for you, I'm pretty thoughtful like that," Harvey said with a grin.

Harvey's fingers at the back of his neck were distracting, which Mike suspected was entirely the point, making him go loose and relaxed under Harvey's ministrations. He wasn't completely distracted though. "You made other arrangements for me?" Mike asked Harvey, watching his face. "Before we'd even started this?" Mike briefly wondered if there had ever been a time when Harvey didn't care about him, despite his many and varied protests to the contrary.

"Of course, I wouldn't have a problem getting another job, not that Jessica would ever let me go, but still." He shrugged, wondering why Harvey's forward thinking still seemed to surprise Mike. He didn't go into things without a plan and this was no different. "I told you from the start this was about us both."

Harvey's forethought hadn't surprised Mike because he didn't expect Harvey to have a plan, because even Mike could see Harvey liked to have a plan - even if he didn't always let Mike in on what the plan was, Mike knew it was there. But what he hadn't considered was that his future employment might be something that Harvey would have planned for as well, particularly when as Harvey said he could be fairly secure in his own job. It was times like these that Mike saw a little more clearly just how seriously Harvey took his role as Dom and Mike felt lucky every time that he got to have this.

"Why are we talking about work again?" Harvey asked, pressing a little bit harder on the back of Mike's neck.

"We're talking about work, because you insisted on bringing up Jessica just to watch me freak out." He said shaking his head at Harvey and poking his shoulder lightly. "Which I'm done with now, so I guess we can move on if you really want."

"I'll make sure I keep you in the dark about such things in the future," Harvey said, rolling his eyes. Standing up he stretched out slowly, arms stretched over his head. "I've got plans for tonight, unless you're too tired?" Harvey teased, looking down at Mike.

Watching the long line of Harvey's body while he stretched seemed to make everything else far less important. Even more so when Harvey said he had plans, and Mike shook his head. "Nope, definitely not too tired." He assured Harvey easily, grinning and knowing he was being teased.

Slowly unbuttoning his shirt he stepped back into the space, his expression and his entire demeanor changing as he let himself slip into the role he loved. He tossed his shirt on the couch beside Mike, beckoning for him with one finger.

"I've got to say, I enjoy you in a suit, Mike," he said quietly, eyes roaming possessively over the boy he'd been itching to touch all day.

Mike was up on his feet without further prompting from Harvey, following him when he stepped back. He licked his lips slowly and let himself look too. "Not as painful as that first suit you saw me in?" He asked with a small grin.

Though trips down memory lane weren't exactly what he was after for the moment, not when he could almost feel the change in Harvey. He could see it in the set of his shoulders and in the look on his face, and Mike wanted more of that.

Harvey laughed gently, shaking his head. "No, not as painful as that," he said as he loosened Mike's tie, slipping the knot free and pulling the silk from around his neck. Slowly circling around him he used the soft silk to tie Mike's hands behind his back. Leaning in he took the chance to kiss up the side of his neck, nipping gently over where he could feel Mike's pulse.

"Have you been following my rule, boy?" Harvey asked as he unbuttoned Mike's shirt, touching every inch of exposed skin before he could tug the material free of his pants. "When was the last time you came?" He asked as his thumb slowly traced around Mike's bellybutton.

On a good day Harvey's hands on him made it nearly impossible to think, add in the question of whether or not he'd been following that particular rule that Harvey had laid out for him three weeks ago and Mike couldn't help the way his cock hardened eagerly, stupidly hopeful. "Yes, Sir." Mike nodded, it had been hard (no pun intended) and there had been more than one occasion where Mike had to nearly forcibly stop himself from seeking out just a small amount of relief but he'd been following that rule.

"Before," Mike said voice catching in his throat just slightly at the feeling of Harvey's fingers on him, it made him want to press into him, to show Harvey just what this teasing did to him though it was more than obvious. He stayed where he was though, waiting, letting Harvey set the pace and the course this would take. "Before you told me not to." Mike tried not to let his voice let on just how much he wanted this. He was pretty sure three weeks was the longest he'd ever gone in his entire adult life and just thinking about it now made it nearly impossible for him to think straight.

There was still a point behind this exercise, not just to torture Mike, although that was a delightful side effect, but he was teaching him something and he really hoped he was learning. "You are doing so well, boy," he whispered into his ear, making sure his knots were secure and Mike was bound firmly.

"Don't ruin it now, okay? Not when you've come so far," he whispered, pulling Mike's shirt open but leaving it on his shoulders. "I know it's difficult, but that's the point. You're showing me that doing what I want and what I ask of you is more important than your own sexual needs, that you can control yourself," he explained, gripping Mike's hips in both hands.

Mike nodded, the motion sharp and short, closing his eyes and focusing on the sound of Harvey's voice in his ear. He had waited three weeks so far; he could stand a little longer. He did want to show Harvey that he could control himself, and during the time that they had been at this Mike had found so much more to want than just sex. "Yes, Sir." He said again.

Breathing slowly, Mike licked his lips and just let himself feel Harvey's hands on him, feeling Harvey so close to him and stopped focusing so much on what his body wanted. It was still there, thrumming just beneath his skin, a constant thing but not overwhelming, just enough that Mike could still set his attention on something else.

"Good boy," Harvey whispered, rubbing his hand over Mike's stomach before he stepped away. "Do you need my help to kneel?" he asked, knowing that with his arms behind his back like that it would be more difficult to balance and Mike falling on his face really wasn't on the agenda.

Watching Mike struggle with this, to control himself physically and to lose himself in the submission was amazing, but it was also the biggest turn on of his life. Which meant that he was also trying to exercise a lot of that control he'd been preaching about.

There were times when Mike had to fight not to follow after Harvey's hands, it was all too easy to press into the touches Harvey gave him, and there were times that Mike suspected Harvey might not have been too off base with those comments about his being a puppy. Though he'd still deny that to anyone, Harvey included.

He considered kneeling for a moment and nodded. "Just catch me if it looks like I'm going to eat it," He chuckled softly. It wasn't nearly as easy as it was normally, dropping to his knees was something Mike could do without thought by now, but with his arms tied behind his back it took just a little more thought, and it made him slower than normal. But he made it without feeling like he was about to pitch forward onto his face and settled into that, by now, comfortable place on his knees for Harvey.

Harvey chucked, hovering over Mike as he moved just in case he needed help. But he was perfect and he stroked his hands over his boy's hair and then the back of his neck, any skin he could reach as he circled around to see the boy's face.

He put some space between them, looking down into his eyes as he slowly unfastened his own pants, letting the material drop so he could step out of them and hang them over the arm of the couch. Taking his seat in the center of the couch he breathed slowly, getting used to being a little less dressed in front of Mike. "Walk to me, on your knees," he instructed, rubbing his hand gently over his cock through his boxers, maybe teasing himself a little.

It was the first time it had been like this and he'd allowed himself to take it a little bit further and he was surprised how natural it felt. But he probably shouldn't have been seen how everything else had fallen together almost without their permission. "You know, I never asked, have you ever sucked cock before? Had sex with a man?" Harvey asked, watching Mike carefully.

Watching Harvey when he was on his knees like this was starting to become the most natural thing in the world for Mike, but when Harvey stepped out of his pants Mike wouldn't have been able to look anywhere else even if he'd wanted to. He moved carefully, still not entirely sure of balancing on his knees with his arms behind his back like this, until he knelt in front of Harvey where he sat on the couch, trying to decide where exactly his eyes should be. Mike felt like he should be looking at Harvey's face, waiting for what he'd be told next, but he couldn't help the way his eyes kept dropping to Harvey's hand, watching the way he stroked himself - almost idly it seemed, and yet it was more than enough to make focus difficult for Mike.

However, when Harvey spoke next Mike didn't seem to have the same trouble looking at Harvey's face. He nodded. "I have, both. I have sucked cock before, and I've had sex with a man." It was just a statement of facts, though Mike couldn't seem to help the way the words came out just a bit faster than they might have normally, like he hadn't let Harvey see him naked any number of times now, like there was anything he needed to hide from him.

Harvey liked how Mike's eyes didn't seem to be able to decide where to settle and he watched them carefully. Sliding his thumbs into the band of his boxers he pushed them down and off, tossing them somewhere over Mike's shoulder. Harvey was more than fine with being naked, especially with Mike and he was clearly enjoying himself, cock hard and curled up against his stomach.

Reaching out to rub his fingers over Mike's jaw he nodded at his answer, having really not had a preference on his level of experience, it didn't matter to him what had happened before, only what was happening now. Wrapping his hand around himself he stroked slowly, head of his cock glistening with precome already. "Would you like to show me how you can suck, boy?" Harvey asked, his voice dark and gravely as he slid his hand into his boy's hair.

"Yes," Mike breathed the word out slowly, eagerly slipping past his lips without even a moment's hesitation, when Harvey's fingers slid into his hair, his eyes finally deciding that watching Harvey's hand on his cock was exactly where he was supposed to be looking. "Yes, Sir," Mike corrected himself.

How many times had Mike thought about this already? And now there on his knees it was suddenly more than just a fantasy that he'd been replaying in his mind for more weeks than he was ready to admit. Mike licked his lips again, pressing them together slowly glancing back up at Harvey, without leaning toward him, without pressing for it - he wanted, god did he want, but only if Harvey would allow it. "Can I? I want to show you, Harvey."

Harvey slid his other hand into Mike's hair, he wasn't going to go making this easy for him. "Such a good boy," he whispered when Mike didn't even move at all, showing that control he'd been wanting to see. Without his hands it was going to be messy and probably lacking the finesse a blow job might normally have, but that would just make it better.

"Yes, you can," Harvey said, leaning back in his chair so he could just enjoy himself and the view. "When you behave, you get rewarded, Mike. You get what you want, what you're craving." Tightening his fingers in Mike's hair his cock twitched against his stomach just from watching how eager his boy was.

Mike hesitated slightly, some small part of his brain not entirely convinced that he'd actually been given permission for this, after all the time that had passed since they'd started it. And yet that was exactly what had happened, Harvey was sitting in front of him, naked and was letting Mike have what he wanted.

He wished his hands were free, it would have gone a long way to make this easier - but Mike was so much more concerned about actually getting to do this that he couldn't spend too much time worried about his hands.

Instead Mike just went for it, trusting Harvey to stop him if he got it wrong or went too far. Mike moved nosing in along Harvey's thigh and kissing his way up until he reached his cock, taking a moment just for himself to breathe Harvey in and make this a memory that would stay forever clear in his mind. Licking his lips, Mike dragged them up over the underside of Harvey's cock all the way up to the head before he got his tongue involved.

Mike had done this a few times before, he wouldn't claim to be an expert or even particularly more skilled than others, but what he lacked in skill he made up for in attentiveness and with just how much he really wanted to be there on his knees for Harvey showing him how much he craved this. It wasn't even about getting off himself, at the moment, his senses were filled with the taste and smell of Harvey Mike wasn't even thinking about getting off, he was completely focused on this on giving Harvey as much pleasure as he could.

And it was that thought that filled his mind when he got his lips wrapped around the head of Harvey's cock, carefully sucking him into his mouth.

It was when Mike's tongue slid over the head of his cock that Harvey knew he wasn't going to be able to last even half as long as he wanted to. He was already eager and wanting and he'd been denying himself this for so long.

He kept that tight level of control though, because that's what this was about, control, just as much as it was about sex and pleasure. But Harvey didn't know where control ended and lust started and that was exactly how he'd wanted this to be. Mike talked too much, that was obvious to anyone who knew him and he was delighted to take that option away from him.

Mike finally let his lips move down the shaft and Harvey pushed in a little bit deeper, rocking his hips a little bit. "You have a fucking beautiful mouth," Harvey praised, gripping his hair a little tighter and rocking into him again.

Mike was only too happy to let Harvey thrust up into his mouth, he kept his lips wrapped around Harvey and couldn't help the deep hum of satisfaction that rose up in his throat at finally being allowed to have this. Harvey's fingers in his hair and his cock filling his mouth as Mike began to bob his head slowly taking just a bit more each time.

He could't get enough of this, it wasn't even about the taste of Harvey on his tongue or the way Harvey pulled at his hair, it was feeling the way Harvey reacted to this. The real and tangible evidence that what he was doing was something that Harvey was enjoying. It was almost physical how much Mike enjoyed that feeling, it was something he'd never spent much time thinking about before in the past. Blowjobs were given in trade, they weren't always something Mike did for the pure enjoyment of the act, but right in that moment that was what Mike felt.

The first time he'd asked for this, begged to give Harvey this it hadn't exactly been about what Harvey wanted, it had been about Mike and what he wanted and anything else that might have come after it. Now though, with Harvey's hand in his hair, Mike could see the difference that Harvey had tried to make him see then. This was what Harvey wanted from him now and Mike was more than eager to give this to him.

Mike let himself caution a glance up at Harvey's face, just briefly wanting to see there how he was doing.

Harvey let Mike move but kept firm hands in his hair to show him that even if he felt like he was in control, he wasn't, that he was only allowed to do this because it was exactly how Harvey wanted it. But god it was good and he groaned softly as Mike made a little noise, pressing in a little bit deeper.

He'd done this uncountable times, with both men and women but Harvey had never felt something this intense. Maybe it was because he'd made them wait so long and things between them were practically electric with need. Mike looked like he was enjoying himself and he hoped that it was everything the boy had imagined it would be, if not more. "I'm not going to last very long," he whispered, his voice harsh and rough as he felt the head of his cock graze the back of Mike's throat.

Looking down into his eyes he tried to hold his gaze without demanding it, sure they weren't perfect at reading each other yet but they were getting better.

Once he'd caught Harvey's eyes Mike couldn't look away again, he didn't need to be told he just knew that was where he was supposed to be looking, the only place he wanted to look. He wanted Harvey to see how much he liked this, how good it was even with the waiting - or maybe because of the waiting, he wasn't sure, but that didn't matter.

Harvey's tight rough voice went straight to Mike's cock, god how could he want anything but this? He whined long and slowly sucking just a bit harder when Harvey told him he wouldn't last. Trying to tell Harvey with his mouth, with his eyes that he didn't need him to last - Mike just wanted to give him this.

He let himself press just a little then, despite the tight grip on his hair that Harvey kept, the way his movements were directed and controlled. It was a very good thing his mouth was occupied at the moment, Mike had no doubts he'd be begging by now. And for the moment he was more interested in focusing on something other than how much he wanted.

It felt like they were doing so much more than just looking at each other, Mike looked so vulnerable and Harvey felt like those big blue eyes were looking right into him. Mike looked amazing, lips stretched wide and he shuddered, wining softly.

"Good boy. You are so good at that, you're doing so well," he whispered, his voice a growl. It didn't seem to be a problem that it was going to be a good time not a long time and he pushed fucked Mike's mouth a little more eagerly, less worried about making a fool of himself.

He groaned again, pulling at the back of Mike's hair as he shuddered. "I knew from the moment I met you that you would look perfect on your knees, blowing me, but it's better, this is better, seeing how much you love it," Harvey whispered. "Can you swallow?" He asked, his voice tense as he tried to restrain himself.

It was better than anything Mike had imagined too, it was real and it was Harvey pushing up into his mouth, stretching his lips and just taking from Mike and nothing he could have imagined could have ever compared to this.

Harvey's voice in his ears, telling him he was good, praising him it just made the whole thing better for Mike as he opened up for Harvey, relaxing his jaw as best he could with Harvey's thick cock pressing into his throat.

Mike moaned eager and hungry around Harvey's cock, nodding his head sharp jerks that pulled his hair just a bit tighter in Harvey's fingers, making him tremble with just how much he wanted it. This point where begging was perfectly fine with him had he been able. Instead he let his lips and tongue to the begging for him, cheeks hollowed around Harvey's cock.

There was no hesitation, no resistance and Mike seemed to just totally give himself over to him. He didn't gag, or fight it and if he hadn't already been desperate to come, that would have done it.

He'd wanted Mike from the moment he'd seen him, but that want had turned into so much more than just lust and it had been so hard to hold himself back from having this, now that it was here, he didn't stand a chance. Harvey groaned as he felt his cock press into Mike's throat, just adding to the almost overwhelming sensation.

With a reaction like that to the idea of swallowing, how could he deny him? Harvey twisted his fingers in Mike's hair, growling as he pushed in deep once again; the delicious wet slide of his boy's mouth was just too much for him. His head fell back as he came hard, releasing all that pent up want with a rough noise.

Mike groaned, lips wrapped tight around Harvey's cock looking up the long line of Harvey's throat to his jaw and then his face when his head fell back and he came. Mike's pleasure in the act, the bitter salty heady taste of Harvey filling his mouth, the way he couldn't help shuddering as he took it all - was secondary to watching that pleasure course through Harvey.

He'd done that, he'd been able make Harvey look like that, and it was so good.

Mike swallowed slowly, though he kept his lips wrapped around Harvey, sucking gently as he eased back until Harvey slipped from his mouth, though Mike stayed close. He pressed soft open mouthed kisses along the length of Harvey's cock and down to his thighs.

It felt like the best orgasm of his life, lingering and making him dizzy in its intensity. Mike swallowed and he had to lower his eyes from being rolled back in his head to watch him, not wanting to miss a thing.

The kisses were nice but Harvey slid down, straddling Mike's knees and bringing them as close as he wanted to be. Reaching between them he made short work of the front of Mike's pants. He shuffled forward a little bit so Mike would have to lean back, putting himself off balance. "I've got you," Harvey said, one arm wound around his boy's waist to steady him. He wanted Mike to rely on him to keep him upright, keep him safe.

Raising his hand to Mike's mouth he offered him his palm. "Lick my hand," he commanded.

Mike hadn't been expecting the way Harvey moved forward, or the way he was suddenly forced to lean back, trusting Harvey to keep him up right while he was kept utterly off balance, but he trusted Harvey. And if Harvey said he had him then he did.

He couldn't help the full body shudder when Harvey lifted his palm to his mouth, his mind following the likely progression there, and he opened his mouth all too eagerly. Harvey tasted different there, and yet there was that familiar taste at the base of it that was all Harvey.

Mike let his tongue sweep over Harvey's open palm again and again, his mouth wet and open until Harvey pulled his hand away from him.

Harvey's arm around Mike was firm and secure and he'd never let him fall. Mike was his and that meant making sure he didn't end up hurting himself. That was always in the front of his mind, to push him, but never too far, to punish him, but never hurt him. It was a delicate balance.

He didn't have to ask again and once his hand was suitably wet he slipped it into the front of Mike's trousers, wrapping firmly around his cock so he could jerk him off hard and fast. "Is this what you want, boy?" He asked, looking heatedly into his eyes. "This what you've been waiting for, working for. You deserve to come for me," Harvey whispered, his thumb moving over the head of his cock, wanting to push him high and fast.

And though Mike knew it was coming he hadn't been prepared for the way Harvey wrapped his fist around his cock and just started to stroke him. He was already wound tight after weeks of waiting and the way Harvey's hand moved over him was almost painful it was so good.

"Yes, yes, yes." Mike couldn't help it, having been quiet for so long words had been building up inside of him and suddenly they all just wanted to spill right out of his mouth for Harvey. "Harvey," And despite that need to just babble, it all came right back to Harvey.

This was going to be over embarrassingly fast, but Mike was so far past the point of caring about that. He'd had Harvey's cock in his mouth, and now Harvey's hand on his cock, nothing else was important. "Please, please, Harvey please." He begged, hips pressing up toward Harvey's hand while he leaned back into that arm that held him secure.

Mike felt perfect in his hand, impossibly hard and he never wanted to stop touching him. He'd been working so hard, doing everything Harvey wanted and he'd been denied release for so long that Harvey knew it must be feeling intense.

"That's it, boy," he whispered, twisting his wrist with every stroke, even if they couldn't be as skilled as he would have liked because Mike was still wearing his suit pants. But he doubted it would matter to him, he seemed to just need to be touched.

Harvey smiled when Mike leaned back, so trusting and sweet that just made him want to be the best Dom possible, because Mike deserved that. "Yes, Mike, yes, it's okay, I want you to come for me, it's alright," he whispered, his thumb sliding back and forth over the head of Mike's cock, nail grazing over the slit.

It was like Harvey's voice was hardwired straight to his cock, every single word he said making his dick twitch, eager for anything Harvey would give him, even this maddening, perfect friction.

In the end he could help it, he'd waited so long for this and he had been hard for so long tonight, it was too much to make him wait any more. And Harvey wanted him to come, it was alright, Harvey wanted it.

Mike opened his mouth, gasping wordlessly, he wanted to watch Harvey's face, wanted to look into his eyes but it was too much. His head fell back as Mike came in a rush, all of it pulsing out of him, harder than he could remember ever coming before, spilling over Harvey's hand.

Something in Harvey's chest roared with a surge of pride when Mike came, he'd done that, given his boy such pleasure. He doubted he could ever forget this moment if he tried, seeing Mike come for the first time, totally lose it under his hands.

Leaning back he pulled his hand free of Mike's trousers, pulling him into his chest. It wasn't comfortable but he knew that Mike was going to need a moment before he'd be ready to move.

"You make me so proud, Mike," he whispered kissing his temple, his own breathing still a little fast and his body itching to just be laid out in bed. "You were perfect."

Mike went all too easily into Harvey's chest, still trembling and panting, it was all so much. Harvey's voice against his skin, lips and body wrapped around him. It was everything he'd wanted, everything and so much more than what he'd imagined it would be like. And being there pressed against Harvey's chest Mike couldn't help but being grateful that he had this.

He pressed into Harvey, slowly pulling himself together again, feeling the warmth of Harvey's skin against his face. "Thank you," He said quietly the words muffled against Harvey's chest, "Thank you." He said not simply for letting him come, though god he was grateful for that, but all of it. Everything from tonight, and everything that had come before it, and knowing that he'd made Harvey proud.

This was what he'd wanted.

Harvey wiped his hand on the back of Mike's shirt, he'd have to send that to the cleaner, or better yet, just throw it out. Blindly fiddling with the knots in the tie he managed to get it undone, fingers gently stroking Mike's wrists, knowing they might be a little sore.

"You're welcome," he said quietly, his voice warm and gentle as he slowly pushed himself up to sit back on the edge of the couch.

Taking one of Mike's hands he made sure his wrists were okay, kissing the reddened skin. "How are you feeling?" He asked, like he always did after they were finished. But he didn't wait for an answer he slowly pulled Mike in to kiss him instead, tongue mapping out every inch of Mike's mouth, even though he could taste himself there.

It was easy to let Harvey move him where he wanted him, to be kissed rather than answer the question he had been asked. It was so easy belonging to Harvey; Mike could feel it in every part of himself as he opened his mouth to Harvey's kiss.

He let himself lean into Harvey when the kiss finally broke, still feeling just a little unsteady even on his knees. "Really good," Mike said slowly nodding, as a slow grin worked its way across his mouth. "That was - that was amazing." He told Harvey, he felt relaxed and at ease in a way he hadn't been in so long.

Gently pushing Mike's shirt off his shoulders Harvey admired the lean lined of his body, mouth curled in a gentle smile. "You're a bit of a mess right now, kid," he said, glancing down at the splatter on Mike's suit.

"Let's get you cleaned up, we can talk more in bed," Harvey said, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Mike's. "And if you're a really good boy? I'll let you see a bit of my own oral fixation."

* * *

Harvey avoided pro bono like the plague. It reminded him too much of his time in the DA's office and all of that was better forgotten. Big corporate cases were easy and while there were winners and losers, the losers weren't rape victims, or the families of someone who'd been murdered. But like Jessica said, they were good for the firm and now that he was a senior partner he had to be invested in what was good for the firm as much as she was.

Rosie Dawson was different though. She wasn't just some pro bono case that he could hand over to Mike and pretend didn't exist. Rosie was only thirty but before she'd met her husband she'd been one hell of a model, Harvey remembered her face from ad campaigns. He'd taken the initial meeting because Jessica had been breathing down his neck, but there was something in her giant brown eyes that struck home with him and reminded him of a case he'd taken a long time ago.

When Rosie had married the CEO of Steadfast Life Insurance, she'd married into a very comfortable life. But one filled with secret abuse that had gone on for over five years. As she'd sat in his office and told him about how the prenuptial agreement would leave her with nothing and how she was too old to work again, he'd thought of Lila, just a scared girl who felt like she had nothing and no one, no hope of things being okay again.

So Harvey had thrown himself into this case, everything else could wait and he didn't stop working until he managed to make that bastard sign a settlement leaving Rosie entitled to just over half of every cent he had.

Donna had shown her in and Harvey sat down and explained the papers to her, explained what she'd be entitled to and watched the relief spread across her face. When she hugged him it was unexpected but he leaned his chin on the top of her head, hand resting awkwardly on her back. "I wish I could have got you more, but that should be enough to take away the worries you have," Harvey said gently, his brow furrowing when he realized she was crying. He didn't know what to do with a crying woman; an alien would have been more familiar to him.

It had been a long time since Donna had seen Harvey throw himself so fully into a case that wasn't earning him his usual hourly rate along with a hefty bonus once all the papers were signed. Not since he'd worked at the DAs office she thought. She hadn't blamed Harvey for wanting to put as much distance between himself and his past there as he possibly could once he'd come to Pearson Hardman making a place for her there as well.

They were a long time from those days though, and Harvey had always done his best to stay away from cases that too closely resembled those he might have had in the past. And yet there he was with a crying woman in his arms thanks to his hard work on her behalf. He hadn't even pawned the case off on Mike - and Donna couldn't help the teasing smirk she gave Harvey while she stood in the doorway, letting him deal with the hugging just a little longer before she came in to give him a hand.

"Mrs. Dawson, we'll just need you to sign a few papers before all of this can go into effect." Donna said, "After that Mr. Specter can take care of everything for you." She promised. It all went much more smoothly after that, though before Rosie Dawson left she had given them both another hug.

When Donna interrupted the crying woman Harvey mouthed an 'I love you' at her because he'd had no idea how he was supposed to get himself out of that one. Donna had diverted her attention and got them back on track. Soon enough the papers were signed and Harvey could sit back at his desk without risk of more hugging.

Donna cast a small smile at Harvey, raising an eyebrow at him once they were alone again. "You did good work on that." She told him sincerely. "I'm proud of you." And not just for the case, but for all the little ways she'd seen him change over the last few months. Most people might not have noticed, but it was her job to pay attention to Harvey, and when he started taking pro bono cases willingly she could see what had lead up to that. He'd spent too long unhappy and alone, Donna was glad to see that was changing.

"Yeah, well men shouldn't be able to beat their terrified wives for five years and then leave them in the gutter when they finally get the confidence to leave, I don't care who he thinks he is," Harvey said with a shrug, leafing through another folder that was on his desk. He knew that before Mike he probably wouldn't have looked at this case twice, but being with someone who he cared about so deeply had maybe opened him up to caring about people in general, just a little bit more.

"You're right, they shouldn't." Donna agreed.

"Don't get used to it," he said as he smirked up at Donna, sitting back in his chair. "She's going to open a shelter with that money, turn around and help hundreds of women just like her, what can I say, I like that we're a part of that," Harvey admitted, turning his seat towards the window so he could glance out over the city. "Plus making a grown man almost sweat blood was just fun."

Donna could let Harvey have this be about the case, it was a good thing he'd done. And it didn't matter the reason. "Don't worry; I'd never start thinking you might actually care about people." She assured him with a knowing smile. He might put on a good act, but she'd seen more than that over the years.

Harvey grinned, leaning back in his chair. It felt good, it felt really good to know that he'd done something for someone who needed him so much. Not just a company but a real person, whose life he'd been able to make a little bit better. "That's because you're never wrong, Donna," Harvey said.

"It's a good look on you, you know." She told him, watching him for just a moment. "You always were good with these sorts of things." Maybe even the best, but that was Harvey - he had to be the best at everything he did. And Donna had no doubt he could have been DA if that was what he'd wanted, if things had been different. But here they were instead, and that wasn't bad - Harvey still did good, and he hadn't had to sell his soul the way Cameron would have made him, to do it either.

One of these days she'd have to find a way to thank the kid for what he was doing with Harvey.

Standing up he straightened his lapels, like maybe Donna was right and you could actually see the good deed he'd done sitting right there on his shoulders. "Thank you," he said as he paused in front of her, hands in his pockets. There was a lot to be thankful for when it came to Donna, for sticking with him for so many years, even with the crappy pay in the DA's office and then for being his right hand every step of the way since. For telling him to get help when he needed it, for looking after him even when he didn't want it.

"I'd kiss you, but I don't want to break Louis' heart, I don't think he could take another let down like that," he said with a smile.

Donna rolled her eyes fondly, only Harvey got to even joke about things like that. Anyone else would have been ended on the spot, or treated to a display of her brilliant acting skills. "Every man has to have a little hope." Donna agreed, nodding. "Don't worry though; I've already given myself a suitable raise." She said sweetly.

"I guess I'll leave you to it, call me if you need another intervention." She teased, giving him a wink before she headed back out to her desk and her own work for the day. She'd be right there keeping an eye on Harvey like she always was.

No one cared for him like Donna did, he owed her more than he could ever really put into words but it wasn't something they'd ever actually talk about.

There was a bit of a spring in his step as he went in search of Mike. A victory like the one he'd experienced today should be shared and taking his associate to lunch was not the way most people would celebrate but then again most of them didn't have a relationship like they did. He checked all the usual places before heading towards the file room, the last place he was going to look before he sent out a rookie search party.

There were times Mike absolutely loved this job, and those times happened pretty frequently to be quite honest, even when he ended up sleeping on the floor under a table, and even when he had to change in the bathrooms after spending the night drooling on files, this was the job he'd always wanted. But there were also times when Mike absolutely hated this job.

But it wasn't really the job he supposed, it was the people he sometimes had to work with. There were times Mike counted Louis among those people, though he went back and forth, for the most part it was his fellow associates. They all lived at various levels of dickishness, though some always seemed to carry around a bit more than others. Mike occasionally wondered if they taught a course at Harvard that taught you how to be a dick or if he was just lucky enough to get stuck with these people by chance.

And case in point, Kyle. It felt like no matter what happened after the mock trial Kyle was going to keep holding that over his head.

"Look I get it; you won the mock trial I'm not sure how many times you need me to tell you that. You were there, right?" Mike asked shaking his head and ignoring the man standing across from him while he attempted to keep working, tapping his highlighter in an agitated rhythm on the stack of files beside him.

It really was too much to ask that he be left alone to work for once. But for some reason Kyle seemed to think he needed to constantly remind Mike that he'd won the mock trial, and that Mike didn't have a perfect record there at the firm. As if Mike was unaware of these facts.

Kyle hadn't liked Mike from day one. He was too eager and practically tripped over his feet to impress Harvey Specter, meaning that the most skilled lawyer probably in all of New York didn't even look at anyone else. He was twice the lawyer Mike was and if he had the same creepy memory skills then he'd be the one working for Harvey, not this stupid kid.

"I was just wondering how it feels to be such a loser you can't even win a fake case," Kyle said with a sneer, leaning back against the table opposite Mike. "But I suppose I never did thank you for making me look so good, Rachel sure knows how to show her appreciation of someone's victory, if you know what I mean."

Mike really had to fight not to roll his eyes, though sometimes he wondered why he even bothered. "Really? We're going to make really terrible innuendo now? That's your big plan here? To taunt me with the suggestion that you're having sex with Rachel? Who doesn't actually date anyone from the office?" Mike asked raising an eyebrow and leaning back just slightly in his own chair to glance at Kyle.

"You got me man," Mike just looking at Kyle. "I've been so schooled by you. The next time I'm bringing in another fifteen clients to the firm on my own, or helping to bring in another multimillion dollar account I'm really going to cry over losing to you in a fake case." Kyle really just wasn't worth his time. Mike could get angry at him, in fact, not too long ago he really would have lost his temper, said something stupid maybe even done something he'd later regret, but right now all he wanted was for Kyle to shut up and go back to being Louis' little lap dog and leave him alone.

"You can go tell Louis you made me cry, and let him know what a good pony you are and how right he was to put his money on you." Mike told Kyle and then paused for a moment. "Oh wait, did he tell you that he asked me to be his pony first? Probably not right? How does it feel to be Louis' second choice?"

Kyle looked like he'd been slapped in the face and he felt like it too. Leaning forward he braced his hands on the desk either side of Mike's work, looking heatedly into his eyes. "You know what, Ross? I don't need to be anyone's pony, I don't need someone to get me out of doing my job or give me special treatment," he snarled into the other man's face. "Trying to fuck the boss as well as kiss his ass?"

"I'm sure you don't _need_ to be his pony, but you like it don't you?" Mike said not bothering to control the eye roll at the look on Kyle's face. The guy was an idiot and if he really needed to resort to these ridiculous attempts at intimidation then he wasn't half the lawyer he thought he was. And maybe it was petty but Mike couldn't help pushing a little.

Mike just shook his head, "Look you're good - and no one is denying that, but I bet you'd be even better if you stopped spending all your time trying to look better than me and just focused on your own cases." Mike said shrugging at the anger that was so clear on Kyle's face. "I'm working my ass off just like everyone else is here, which considering the amount of time you spend following me around should be pretty obvious. I'm not getting special treatment, or getting out of my work. I'd even wager I'm putting in more hours than you are."

"So you can keep on following me around and reminding me about this one victory you had over me and let that be the pinnacle of your time here or you can actually prove that you're better than me." Mike told him. "Stop wasting my time and yours playing the part of the bully and just do the work, man. It's not gonna matter that you won the mock trial if I've got all the real world experience when we're finished. Grow up, Kyle."

Harvey had walked in to the sound of an angry voice and glimpsed some associate giving his boy a hard time. It was when he accused Mike of trying to sleep with him that he'd been ready to step in, but he held back, just to watch. Mike pretty much ripped the other guy to shreds while he was standing there and when he walked past Harvey he gave him a terrified look and pretty much ran for it.

It was moments like these he hated the rules he'd put down for them in the office because right now, he didn't know how to contain himself. "Well done, I think you made him cry," Harvey said, his voice gentle and one he tried to never use at work, but he couldn't help it.

"You think so?" Mike asked with a small grin, a little startled when Harvey came in after Kyle had run off.

Taking the place the associate had just vacated he glanced down at what Mike was working on and it didn't look vital. "Lunch. Meet me at the car in five," he said quickly. Stepping away so he wouldn't touch. The Mike that had started here would never have been that calm and level headed, he'd have taken the bait and Harvey was too proud for words.

"I'll be there." Mike assured Harvey, he just needed to make a stopping point so he could pick it up again later and he'd be ready. This thing at the office was never going to be easy Mike decided, there was too much at stake for either of them to let it get to the point where they could describe it as easy - but it got easier. He didn't constantly feel at war with himself and the things he wanted, and he didn't feel like simply because he couldn't touch Harvey or they couldn't say the things they might normally say that anything had changed between them.

It had been Harvey who told him back at the start of all this that being a sub didn't make him weak. Just because he chose to submit to Harvey didn't mean he was weak for it, and it didn't mean he had to submit to anyone else. It was something to be proud of, and he was. He was very proud to belong to Harvey, and he understood a little better now what it meant to be a reflection of Harvey. It helped him hold himself a little straighter and stay calm when dealing with idiots like Kyle and just being the best person he could. Because at the end of the day there was only one opinion that mattered and that was Harvey's

And it was that thought that was in Mike's mind as he made his way downstairs to the car and slid in beside Harvey.

* * *

Harvey had been trying to drive Mike crazy all day, which wasn't uncommon for a Sunday. Aborted handjobs while they lay in bed, having Mike kneel beside him while they looked through files, sucking hickeys in a long line over his spine. Everything to have him desperate and wanting, which really didn't have to be much, Mike was always wanting.

But now the sun was setting, darkness descending over the city, and he had Mike kneeling in the middle of the bed, blindfolded and naked and Harvey couldn't get enough of him. His hand pulled Mike's head back by roughly grasping his hair, while his other hand came down hard over his ass. "That might be one of my favorite noises," Harvey admitted before he sucked another bruise into his shoulder.

Mike was a mess, he couldn't think straight anymore he was long past that point by the time he'd ended up in Harvey's bed on his knees. Sundays were becoming something of a routine for them, not in what they did, but in that Mike seemed to always get to the point where thinking about anything other than Harvey was a complete and utter impossibility.

"Harvey," He gasped the name out, his voice low and rough as he trembled on the bed. He could feel Harvey there with him, holding him and so close. He wanted to touch, to do more than kneel there - he never could get enough of that, of touching Harvey and being touched. It was like he'd spent his entire life without it and now that Harvey was there he couldn't help but arch into it whenever it was given. "Harvey, please." Mike begged, no longer sure what it was he'd been asking for.

He'd had a rough week at work and losing himself in Mike was the only thing that he'd been looking forward to. His body trembling and pliant and the way he begged so prettily, that's what he needed and he was getting it. There were so few boundaries, Mike trusted him so much and he'd never said no before, which Harvey knew realistically could be dangerous, power like that could get to your head but he was always careful not to lose control.

But right now? He felt a little frayed around the edges, like that usually firm grip he had on the situation was a little shaky. But Mike was his and he wasn't thinking about control so much as possession. Harvey's hand wrapped around Mike's throat, squeezing hard as he worked the tip of one of his fingers into his boy's ass. But even that wasn't enough and he kissed up his bicep before biting down on his shoulder hard enough to taste coppery traces of blood.

Normally when Mike found that place, that place where all he had to do was listen to Harvey's voice and respond, everything was perfect. He stayed right there until Harvey was wrapping him up again and telling him how good he was. Mike never got enough of that, knowing that Harvey thought he was good, Harvey holding him close, stroking his face and petting his hair. It was the sort of close affection Mike had desperately craved his entire life and had only now found with Harvey.

Tonight though, it wasn't so easy. He found that space again, but Harvey kept pushing him - pushing him more than he had before, harder than they had before and Mike was more than a little desperate for it, for the way Harvey touched him, and found pleasure in him. Some of it was just skirting that line of too hard, of too much, too much sensation, occasional moments of too much pain, before it all blended back into that haze of right and good and want that Mike fell into constantly around Harvey.

It was the bite though that pulled Mike out sharply, gasping not breathless with pleasure, but real pain, making him close his eyes tight and press his lips together in a thin line while he tried to remember how to breathe again, whimpering with actual unwanted pain for the first time since he'd been with Harvey.

Harvey took care of him, he trusted Harvey, it was okay. Harvey was still there with him, it was okay. Mike repeated those words to himself. He could stop this, Mike knew he could; he remembered the ground rules they'd laid out all those months ago, and yet he didn't say them, didn't want Harvey to stop, or to pull away from him. He just needed Harvey there with him.

This was a hard limit, he knew that the second he tasted it on his tongue, blood. This was a place he'd never supposed to have ended up and the gasp cut through him, like it picked him up and threw him back to earth and back to reality. Harvey heard that whimper and felt sick, not just from the taste of Mike's blood on his tongue, but that he'd made his boy make a noise like that.

"Red light," Harvey said quietly, because even Doms needed safe words sometimes too.

His hands carefully moved to Mike's waist, holding him gently and he realized that he was shaking too. But not with pleasure, with guilt at what had just happened, what he'd done. It had been his responsibility to know where the line was and he'd crossed it, he'd fractured their trust and he knew that his face was pale.

"I lost control, I lost control and that's no excuse," he whispered, shaking his head as he gripped Mike a little tighter. "Are you alright?" Harvey asked, leaning over to grab the blanket off the foot of the bed and wrap it around his boy's slim shoulders.

Mike hadn't expected Harvey to be the one to stop things so completely. It left him feeling unsettled and unsure, he pushed the blindfold up over his eyes without waiting for Harvey to do it for him, and he needed to see him now. He was still shaking, trying to find his way down again after everything stopped the way it had.

Nodding slowly, Mike pulled the blanket around himself a little more tightly. "I'm okay." He said finally, not trusting his voice completely yet but he thought actually saying the words would help. He hurt, and not in the pleasantly sore sort of way he'd been growing used to with Harvey, he could feel that spot on his arm still sharp and uncomfortable, still wound tight that rush of lust and need still coursing through his veins, but he was okay.

Clutching the blanket in his fist Mike reached out to touch Harvey's chest, he didn't look well. "Are _you_ okay?" He asked him.

Pushing the material gently off Mike's head he stroked his hair and his cheeks, not feeling like he should push for a kiss but not wanting Mike to feel anything less than adored. Just because mentally they'd crossed a line, Mike's body wouldn't have caught up with that yet.

Shaking his head he took a few deep breaths, needing to calm down and fix this. "I'm okay," he said, his hands sort of moving uneasily over Mike's outline, not feeling like he should touch him, not after that. Clearing his throat he placed his hand over Mike's on his chest, thumb rubbing over one of his knuckles.

"I am so sorry, Mike. I never, _ever_ meant to hurt you like that," he said, squeezing his hand a little tighter. "That was so out of line and I'm so sorry," Harvey added, pinching the bridge of his nose and squinting his eyes closed. "I wasn't thinking, I wasn't in control, I-" he cut himself off, shaking his head slowly.

Mike was so used to thinking of Harvey as being constantly in control, always aware of what he was doing, what he was saying, how he held himself. He'd been holding Harvey to some standard that wasn't fair - not to either of them. And this moment really drove home for Mike that Harvey was just a human like the rest of them, no matter how imposing he could seem.

"Harvey," Mike said slowly, he didn't know what he was supposed to say here. If there was actually anything you were supposed to say in these situations, but something needed to be said, that much Mike knew. "It's okay," he told him, "I'm okay - I'll be alright." He told him. "You stopped; it's going to be okay." He never was very good at reassurances, but Mike needed Harvey to know this could be okay.

It was strange to have the roles reversed like this, for Mike to be providing the aftercare while he felt like he was struggling to keep his feet on the ground. Breathing deep and slow he nodded slowly, it was okay, he'd managed the situation before it had turned into something he never wanted to be part of.

He felt more calm now, more like himself now that the shock and fear was fading and he had to resume his role, it was the only way to repair what had been knocked out of place. Harvey could only hope that it was only dislocated, not broken. Sitting back against the head of the bed he pulled Mike into his lap, blanket and all. Ever so gently he pushed the blanket off Mike's shoulder, cringing at the imprint of his teeth, bruised and the skin broken open. Harvey kissed the spot over and over again, nuzzling into Mike's neck. "I never want to hurt you," he said softly as he looked into his boy's eyes, holding his face gently in his palm. "You are so important to me, Mike. You're... Mine and it's my job to keep you safe."

Mike breathed out slowly when Harvey seemed to calm down, breathing more easily and not looking quite so ready to run the way Mike had almost feared he would. He went easily when Harvey pulled him into his lap settling against him, starting to feel better himself with Harvey around him again.

His arm was tender, but he'd be fine. It wasn't the first time Harvey had left a mark on him, true the others were far more enjoyable to receive but this one would fade like all the rest eventually did.

"I know, Harvey." Mike knew so well that pain, real pain was not something Harvey wanted to give him. They had talked about it before and it wasn't something either of them was interested in. He knew Harvey didn't want to hurt him. He turned his face just enough to press his lips to Harvey's palm that had been resting on his cheek just moments before. He leaned forward just enough to gently butt his head against Harvey's, "You do keep me safe; you're taking care of me all the time."

Harvey pursed his lips, looking into Mike's shocking blue eyes for a few moments. "It's more than just keeping you safe," he said, his fingers sliding into Mike's hair and curling gently in the soft hair at the back of his neck. "And it's more than just taking care of you, too," Harvey added.

He'd spent his entire life keeping up walls between him and everyone else and then a kid who'd dumped a briefcase full of weed at his feet had just slipped in under all of them, knocked them down and then rearranged the furniture while he was at it. "I care for you," Harvey started, although it was a cop out and he knew it.

"It's more than just keeping you safe because I'm your Dom and you're mine, it's because you are the person I-" he cut himself off; kissing the mark he'd left again. "I love you, kid." He finally said after a long pause.

That - that was unexpected. Mike knew how he'd been feeling about all of this, opening up his entire life to Harvey, spending more time in Harvey's apartment than he did in his own these days, and finding that safe space whenever he was with Harvey where he could just stop for once - the place where he didn't need drugs to quiet his mind he just needed Harvey, just a quiet presence beside him or more than that, but just knowing that Harvey was there, that he belonged to Harvey was enough.

So often Mike let Harvey initiate things between them - it was part of that control and patience he'd been learning - but right then Mike couldn't actually stop himself.

Twisting in Harvey's lap until he was straddling his hips and getting himself hopelessly tangled in that blanket in the process no doubt, Mike kissed Harvey. It was slow and tentative to start, but in it were all the things Mike wasn't entirely sure how to say.

Harvey really wished he could take it back once he'd said it. It was a stupid thing to say and yeah, it was true, but he still didn't have to like it. It made him feel vulnerable and revealed and he hated both of those things.

Mike moved turning in his lap making him smile and he looped his arms around his waist. It was a little awkward but Mike himself was kind of awkward and his arm got a little twisted trying to hold him not the material that was now trying to strangle his boy. He kept the kiss slow but made it deeper, sighing softly into his mouth.

"I take it back," he said against his mouth, nipping at his bottom lip. "You're awkward and you're practically strangling yourself with a blanket," Harvey added with a laugh. Because it was easier to just make a joke out of it, not take it too seriously and avoid being nervous about having left himself so open.

"Nope." Mile said happily, laughing with Harvey when he said he was taking it back, that wasn't even a possibility as far as Mike was concerned. "You're not allowed to take it back, you love me." Mike said grinning hugely at Harvey and kissing him again. Mike knew how scary it could be, and he wasn't going to let Harvey take this away from him, away from them.

He nuzzled in against Harvey's neck, planting kisses along Harvey's jaw and throat ignoring the way he really had managed to get himself trapped in the blanket, but far more concerned with the man in front of him.

"I do too, you know." Mike said without lifting his head, lips brushing against Harvey's skin when he spoke. "I love you too, Harvey." If Harvey could say it then Mike could too - especially when it was everything he wanted. He wanted Harvey like this, and once it was out there between them Mike didn't want it taken back in again. "And you have to love me even when I try to kill myself with a blanket, because I'm yours and you're mine."

Rolling his eyes he tugged the blanket away from Mike's neck where he seemed intent on wearing it like some deranged cape. "Yeah, I know," Harvey said with a nod, because as much as he'd been nervous about saying it, it was kind of hard not to feel it from Mike in everything they did. He couldn't imagine it was a huge surprise to Mike that he loved him, that he said it maybe, but not that he felt it.

"Fine, I have to, but we're not getting matching tattoos and that's final," Harvey said, pulling Mike back into his chest and closing his eyes. "Now this is one of those moments that's improved by your not speaking," he added, kissing Mike deeply so that whatever he was about to say would be lost in their kiss.

* * *

That next week was long, but then they all seemed long, especially when all Mike wanted was the weekend for those long stretches of time he could have with Harvey. He did the work though and made it through without any screw ups and even a few wins in his column by the end of the week.

Still he was looking forward to seeing Lila and Troy that weekend, enjoying spending time with them both, it always felt like a much needed break from everything. The two of them were so different in so many ways from the people Mike saw most often, and he liked that about them. It was starting to feel more like they were his friends as well, and not just friends of Harvey who he liked to drop in on with what was probably annoying frequency.

They had dinner together again, which seemed to be something of a requirement, though Mike didn't mind at all, it was nice just being the four of them.

"One day, you're going to have to teach me your tricks." Mike told Lila, grinning at her while he leaned against Harvey. "I'm pretty sure there's a rule about that somewhere."

"I've told you, Mikey, it's all just made with love, that's the secret. No harm to any living creatures and made with love," Lila said with a warm smile, slowly stacking their plates together.

She loved having Mike here, not that she hadn't loved it in the past when it had just been the three of them, but Mike just completed Harvey in a way that was just so beautiful to watch that it warmed Lila's heart. Sometimes she couldn't believe that Mike was the same person who'd come to see her all that time ago and been so unsure. "I made that flourless chocolate cake that you like," Lila added with a smile.

Harvey sat back, watching the two talk, his arm hanging easily over Mike's shoulder now that they were finished eating. It was nice to get out of the apartment, eat some nice food and be with the people he loved. "We're not going vegan, Mike. I love hotdogs way too much," he said with a chuckle.

"You don't have to be a vegan to like good food." Mike said poking Harvey's shoulder and grinning at Harvey, "No one is going to stop you from having hotdogs." He promised, he wouldn't admit it, but he found Harvey's love of hotdog stands to be just a little endearing in a weird way. Harvey all perfectly tailored suits and the best closer in town, still enjoyed a hotdog just like everyone else.

He smiled though; it was a good way to end the week. Teasing and laughing and just spending time with friends. He could hardly believe there was a time when he hadn't wanted to spend all of his time like this. Life before he'd met Harvey just seemed so far away from where he was now; it was hard to think about it when he was here.

"Listen to your boy, Harvey. He's a smart one." Troy chuckled; he liked having the pair of them there. It was good seeing Harvey settled for once; he finally looked like he wasn't waiting anymore. "Besides you don't know what they put in those hotdogs, if you knew you might just prefer to go vegan, Harvey."

Lila made a face at the mention of hotdogs, slowly getting to her feet and collecting all their plates. "Can you please help me, Mikey?" She asked once her hands were full. Of course she knew if she asked her Master he'd be up to help her before she could finish her sentence, but she liked to do things like this for him.

"Hotdogs are fantastic, guys. I don't care if they're made of toad guts and the blood of virgins, they're my happy place," Harvey said, placing a quick kiss on the back of Mike's neck. He'd wanted to get Troy alone for a minute and this seemed like the perfect chance. "Don't rush back, secret men's business," he said, winking at Lila and laughing when she just rolled her eyes at him.

Mike raised an eyebrow when Harvey said not to hurry back but didn't ask about it, if he needed to know Harvey would tell him. And instead he gathered up the rest of the dishes and followed after Lila, grinning when she rolled her eyes at Harvey. He kind of loved her a little.

Troy watched the pair of them disappear with the dishes from dinner into the back, "So secret men's business?" He asked Harvey with a wry grin. "That was the best you could do?" He wondered, though if Harvey needed to talk then Troy was of course there to hear him out, that was part of what their family was about after all. Not just getting drunk and laughing themselves sick whenever they found the time for it, but looking out for each other too. "Let's hear it then."

Harvey watched the two vanish into the kitchen, smiling fondly and waiting until the door settled closed again. Leaning forward Harvey ran his fingers through his hair before looking across the table at Troy. "I broke a hard limit," he said bluntly, shaking his head. "Not just his, but mine," Harvey said, knowing that there was no point even lingering on making it sound good, when it couldn't.

It had been over a week and the mark was now just a bruise and a little scabbing, but it nearly overwhelmed him with guilt every time he had to look at it.

Troy's demeanor changed when Harvey told him what had happened, he sat up just a bit more turning to face Harvey. Troy knew what it was like to fear that you'd done some irreparable damage to the person you were supposed to be the most careful with, it wasn't a good feeling and he didn't envy Harvey that feeling now.

"How far did it go?" He asked him. Mike seemed to be in good spirits throughout the evening, he laughed and stayed close to Harvey, leaning into him and kissing and letting himself be kissed. He didn't look like someone who was wrestling with this the way Harvey seemed to be. "Did you talk to him about it?"

They'd been fine; Mike didn't seem any different after what had happened, having totally forgiven him. But that didn't actually make him feel better. It might have been easier if Mike had been more upset and he could have felt like he'd earned his forgiveness.

"I stopped, right away. But I broke the skin," Harvey said, keeping his voice low as he leaned in to Troy, wanting to keep this private. "We talked, he told me it was okay, but I just-" he cut himself off, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Have you ever lost control?" He had to ask, Troy was a much more experienced Dom and he trusted him like a brother.

Troy nodded he could understand that, for Mike to just say it was okay when it was a serious breach of the trust that these relationships were founded on. It wasn't just fine, but there was a fine line too - if Harvey let himself get stuck on this then he wasn't going to be any good for himself or Mike, this was something you learned from and then you moved on.

"I have." He nodded, "It was not my finest hour," That was something Harvey would undoubtedly understand, particularly after his own experience. "I was young and I was too damn eager and I stopped paying attention to the signs and I let things get away from me." He told Harvey and shrugged, it was never easy to talk about these things, no matter how long ago they had happened. "It took a while to pick up the pieces after that, and we never did manage to find that trust between us again."

Troy sighed, that had been his fault, he'd been the one to cross the line and he'd done it in a way that couldn't be fixed. It sounded like Harvey's case wasn't going to be quite so dire, but that guilt and doubt was still there.

"It's a big responsibility, that trust they give us." He said slowly, glancing briefly at the door to the kitchen, he'd have liked to have seen Lila there for just a moment. "And it's easy sometimes to overlook that, or to focus too much on the mistakes we make." Troy knew he'd spent a great deal of time doing that himself. "But you're not going to be any good to him if you're just going to be hung up on this from now on. It happened, and it's going to be there between the two of you, but he's forgiven you for it - you have to accept that, whether you think you deserve it or not. Or this is just going to eat away at what you have with him." Troy warned Harvey.

"He's a good kid, and he's been good for you - don't let guilt be the thing that make this fall apart, Harvey. You deserve to be happy for once." Troy told him, clapping a hand on Harvey's shoulder and squeezing gently. "It's not going to be easy, but it never is."

Listening to Troy made Harvey feel better, he wasn't the only one who'd screwed up. But when it had happened with Troy it had ruined what he'd had with whoever it was at the time and something in Harvey ached when he thought about that happening to him and Mike. He wasn't ever going to let that happen.

"I love him," Harvey admitted, squinting a bit as he looked up at Troy. "I'm trying not to let this linger between us but I feel like it's in everything I do now, every time he looks at me with those big blue eyes it's like I wonder if it'll happen again and this time I won't stop myself," Harvey sighed, rubbing his palm over his forehead.

Placing his hand over Troy's he squeezed hard, pursing his lips. "I'm not expecting easy, easy is boring. I just- how would you feel if you hurt her?" Harvey asked, glancing back at the kitchen door.

"And we all know you don't do boring." Troy huffed a short laugh and nodded. Though his brief good mood evaporated quickly at Harvey's next question. Just thinking of hurting Lila wasn't something Troy wanted to do, he shook his head. "I don't know, I honestly - I don't know." He admitted. "Do you know how many times I've thought about finding that bastard who hurt her?" He asked Harvey, far more often than was healthy Troy knew. It got easier though, to focus on their present, on their future together and press on what had happened in the past - you didn't forget the past, it was always there, but it didn't have to dictate the way you lived your life.

Harvey entwined their fingers when he spoke about the guy who had hurt Lila and nodded. "I can imagine. Do you know how hard it was to sue him and not kick his ass? I've seen those burns they're-" He cut himself off, this was not what he wanted to talk about. "I'd kill you if you hurt her and I'd like to think you'd do the same for Mike."

"Yeah, I would." Troy sighed, "I wish I had a better answer for you, but this is all I've got, Harvey. You spend all your time worried about what ifs you're going to miss out on what you have right now. You talk to him, make sure he knows and understands about his safe words, you make sure he's going to use them, and you make sure your head is clear before you put yourself in a position where you might go too far again." Troy told him firmly. "You can worry about this forever, until you don't have this anymore, or you can remember that it happened, and you can learn from it and move on."

"I know you love him, it's been obvious for a while now." He offered Harvey a small smile then. "And that kid is completely in love with you too. Hold on to that, that is what is going to get you through this."

Troy was right and he nodded, sitting up a little straighter. "Well I'm so glad it's so obvious to everyone, thanks, Troy."

"Only to those of us that actually know you." He assured Harvey with a smirk.

Looking back at the door Harvey couldn't help but smile. "I'm thinking about asking him to wear a collar. A custom one, something silver, subtle," he said, glancing back at Troy. "I'm hoping Lila is taking this chance to feel out how he might feel about that."

Troy couldn't help grinning when Harvey told him what he'd been considering. "A collar. That's a big step." He said slowly and nodded. "I'm glad to hear you've been thinking about it, you've needed something like this for a while." Mike really was good for Harvey in so many ways; Troy couldn't help but be pleased that the two had found each other.

"I'm sure my girl is doing her very best, though I'm just guessing from the way he looks at you that he'd like something like that quite a bit." He chuckled softly. Mike might have been new to all of this but you'd almost never know looking at him these days, he'd grown so much thanks to Harvey. It was always nice when things worked out like this.

Harvey grinned, nodding his head, glad Troy seemed to agree. He didn't think it would change them, but it was something he wanted and the desire to do it just got more intense the longer they were together. Sure Mike was his but he wanted there to be a physical symbol of that, something he could see every day. "I've needed him, I just didn't realize how much of a difference there was between this and him until I had it."

"That's usually how it works." Troy smiled gently, he knew that feeling.

Grabbing his glass of wine Harvey took a sip, feeling lighter now he'd got his worries and his hopes off his chest. "He looks at me like he's a puppy and I'm the master," Harvey said with a chuckle. Pausing Harvey glanced back at the door. "How did you know you wanted to collar her? Wake up with her every day? Share a space and have her serve you constantly?" He asked.

Things with Lila had been almost perfect from the start, from that very first moment they'd been introduced it was like finding a part of him that had been missing and he'd only just become aware of it when he'd found her again. It had taken time though. To figure things out between them, to gain that trust. After the experiences Lila had been through Troy wanted to make sure he did things right. She deserved that.

"I think I always knew," Troy told Harvey, it was stupid and bordering on a level of sentimentality that he rarely allowed himself, but it also felt like the truth. "But the moment I knew it, when I became aware of it and started actively working toward it?" He paused thinking about that morning when he'd woken up with Lila tucked in against his side, warm and soft and beautiful and he thought about what it would have been like to not have her there each morning. And he'd known then that he didn't want to find out, because everything was just a little bit better with her there, even when it felt like everything was just painful and wrong in his life there had been Lila and she'd made it right again. Just by being there with him.

"It was just an ordinary morning," Troy shrugged, "nothing special about it at all - I just woke up with her and I knew I wanted to have her there with me every morning from then on. I thought about what it would be like not to have it and I just knew."

Troy was wise, about a lot of things and Harvey respected his opinion. On things like this though, he was always right and Harvey knew just what he meant. These days he really didn't like it when Mike went back to his place, it seemed like such a waste of what was already quite limited alone time together. He felt centered and calm with Mike beside him and he knew that Donna thought he was rubbing off on him in a good way. Everyone who cared about him thought that Mike was good for him and he wasn't about to argue.

"I think I've had that moment already," Harvey admitted, giving a little shrug. "I think I had that moment a while ago, now I'm just working on the best way to go about it," he said.

"Thanks for the talk and for not slapping me over the back of the head. We should get the better looking duo back out here before they eat that entire cake." He said, giving the back of Troy's hand one last lingering squeeze.

* * *

Harvey was old fashioned, he loved his three piece suits and his classic music and he believed that before you asked someone to marry you, you asked their father for permission. But he also knew that he'd never get married, he wanted nothing to do with a horrible wedding party and he never wanted to be anybody's husband.

But he couldn't help but think that before he should ask Mike to live with him, he should talk to his gran about it. She'd know if it was a bad idea, or if it was too soon. It has been almost a year since he'd hired Mike so they'd been seeing each other for a while but it was still relatively fast compared to most relationships.

He liked Mike's gran and usually he made sure he had somewhere nice to take her, an art gallery or a movie or a nice meal, but today he'd just dropped by to talk.

"You know, I think I could get used to living here," he said, relaxing back in his chair. "Think maybe we could be roommates?"

Nancy was rather fond of Harvey Specter, she had worried when Mike first began to tell her about the man who had hired him, she'd seen the way Mike looked at him. And so much of it was similar to the way Mike had talked about Trevor all those years ago. She had feared he might replace one bad influence with another.

But the longer it went on the easier it was to see all the positive ways Mike was changing thanks to Harvey's influence. Mike was finally getting his life on the right path and Nancy felt like she didn't have to spend so much time worried about Mike, he was in a good place in his life and she couldn't help but be grateful to Harvey for all of the changes he'd helped Mike make.

"As tempting an offer as that is Harvey, I'm afraid Mr. Harrison down the hall has already made the same request." She told him with a teasing smile. "You should have asked sooner, I'm afraid you'll have to find someone else to keep you company. I've heard Mrs. Pruitt is looking for a mildly attractive young man to share her room with, you might ask her."

Harvey placed his hand over his heart like he was wounded, letting out a long pained sigh. "Nance, you've left me a broken man," he said, giving her a wink. He'd never really spent time with his own grandparents and it was nice, he decided, grandparents were fun.

Sitting forward Harvey rubbed his hands together as he considered how he should go about what he wanted to say. "I think I'll have to give Mrs. Pruitt a pass, I've already got a second choice in mind," he said, keeping eye contact so he looked more confident than he felt. "What do you think about me asking your grandson to move in with me?" Harvey asked.

"Is that right?" Nancy asked, she did so like that Harvey wasn't afraid to laugh with her. She had a good idea what he had in mind when he mentioned a second choice, and she couldn't help the small smile she gave him. Who said chivalry was dead?

Still she couldn't let him off that easily of course. "Harvey, let me ask you something." She started. "This thing with Michael, with my grandson, I've seen the way he's been changing. Thanks to your influence." And it was something she might never be able to truly thank Harvey for, Mike had needed that, needed the change Harvey offered him. "He's had a hard life; he's made a lot of very poor decisions, and let himself follow around the wrong people. I need to know that this means as much to you as it does to him."

Nancy made him a little bit nervous. She was clever and protective and he didn't want to end up on her bad side, ever. He could understand her concerns, after everything and all the stupid things Mike had done and the people that had screwed him up, she had every right to be cautious.

Letting out a slow sigh he reached out and took both her hands in his. "This is it for me. I'm done," Harvey said simply, giving her a little smile. "I want to take care of him and of you and-" he faded off, giving a little shrug. "No one will have to worry anymore. Besides, you and I have so much fun, it really sweetens the deal," Harvey said with a fond smile.

She knew Harvey cared for Mike very much, she could see it so easily when she saw the two of them together, but hearing it from his own mouth was the reassurance she had needed. She turned her hand in his covering the back of his hand with hers and squeezing gently. "Oh Harvey, people still worry - it is a part of life, and it's never truly gone." She told him. "I know you'll take care of him though, and maybe he can finally stop spending so much time worrying about an old woman and actually worry about living his life for himself for once."

Harvey rolled his eyes at her, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "No one is ever going to stop worrying about you, apparently that's what happens with family, or so they tell me," he said.

"Now you will have to get over your delusions of finally winning me over as charming as you are, and spend your time charming my grandson." She told him patting his cheek.

Leaning against her hand he couldn't help but grin at her. "I'll never stop trying to charm you, Nance, you're the only woman that's ever said no to me and I'll never be able to let it go," Harvey said, holding out his fist to bump against hers. "Thank you."

"It does a person good to be told no from time to time in their lives Harvey, I'll be happy to provide that for you." She assured him with a small smile, and returned the fist bump easily. "You're a good boy, Harvey. Thank you for taking care of him."

* * *

Lila really did think that a year working night and day needed celebrating, not to mention Mike's raise, and what she personally considered his and Harvey's one year anniversary. There was a lot to celebrate and bringing people together for food and drink was what she did best.

Her cheeks were hot probably from drinking too much wine and she was extra careful as she carried the giant peanut butter brownie cake back to the kitchen now that he'd blown out the candles. Her eyes were actually a little watery as she served up the cake and delivered it around the room.

It really was hard to believe so much time had passed; it still felt like things had only just started in so many ways to Mike. And yet there he was a year after he'd nearly landed himself in jail, surrounded by friends, with a great job, a life he really could be proud of, and of course Harvey. Harvey had been the one constant throughout all of it, the reason for all of it in so many ways.

The night had been fun, there had been good food and laughter and now cake, Mike was feeling happy and content and at peace with himself and his life in a way he never truly had before.

He caught Lila's hand setting down the piece of cake she'd given to him and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Thank you," He told her quietly, and not just for that night, for making sure they all had fun and for recognizing he'd worked his ass off for the last year, but for being his friend and being someone he could always talk to. It was strange to think just how unsure he'd been that first day he'd met her, not sure if a friendship between them would even work and now there they were.

Lila sniffed quietly into the front of his shirt, feeling silly but at the same time unable to help herself. "No, thank you, Mikey," she said softly, her arms loosely looped around his waist. "Thanks for brightening up my days," she added. It was amazing what a different person this boy was compared to the one she'd met, but still so sweet and genuine.

"I'm so happy for you, you've worked so hard," she said, pulling away to look up at him. They'd become the closest of friends since they'd met and sat together in this very room and now Lila couldn't imagine her life without him.

He smiled when Lila pulled back and he nodded, "Yeah, I have." He could be modest when he needed to be but about how much work he'd put into the last year Mike thought he had earned the right to be completely honest. He was damn proud of himself and everything he'd accomplished, all the times he had helped Harvey, the cases he'd been able to work on his own, the times when people other than Harvey got to see that he could do the job he'd been hired for.

It had been a good year, with ups and downs as with any year, but here at the end of it - all Mike could think was that it had been good.

"Some nights it really feels like it's been a year," He said chuckling. When he was exhausted after spending too many hours working on something, when he was stressed and just ready for a case to be finished. "But it's just hard to believe it's been a year already most of the time." He admitted. Mostly given just how changed his life was, it had only taken a year, one year to turn around all the mistakes he had made.

Pulling back she glanced around the room to make sure that everyone seemed content before she took his hand in hers, leading him towards the kitchen. "Come, I've got something for you," she said, pulling him through the swinging kitchen door.

Letting his hand fall away she disappeared into the small office for a moment and emerged with a scrapbook in her hands, similar to the one she'd shown him on the first night he'd visited here. "Here, I've been making this for you," Lila said as she laid it on the kitchen counter. "Some of it is just silly things, like the label off the wine from our first dinner, but there's the newspaper article from when you won that case and photos and yeah," she said turning back to the front page where she'd found a lovely photo of Mike and Harvey in her collection.

Lila refused to live in the past, but she believed that the past was a gift, something to learn from and that this year would be precious to Mike for years to come and she wanted to give him a way to remember all the little details.

Mike couldn't help running his finger over the photograph, the picture of the two of them together, along with so many other big important events from the last year all put together. Some things that Mike had nearly forgotten already, as he thumbed through the pages quickly, others that were still fresh and clear in his mind. Big things and small, all of it making up his life.

He had a few pictures of his parents and a few pictures of himself with Trevor and Jenny, but for the most part Mike's life before this past year had been pretty uneventful, and the things that happened weren't exactly the sort of things that he wanted to remember.

But this was different.

"It's perfect," He told her, shaking his head and smiling. "Thank you, really - for everything you've done for me and all the help you've given me this year." There had been numerous times when he'd been desperately grateful to have Lila's friendship, and he had a feeling that would continue to be the case as time went on.

Lila smiled, placing her hand on the cover of the book, content that maybe she'd given Mike a tiny part of herself and now he wouldn't forget her. "You're welcome," she said softly, pushing herself up to sit on the counter as she listened to the talking and the laughing from the other room. Harvey had been twisting her arm to talk to Mike about the idea of collaring, but with Mike so busy and time when it was just them scarce she hadn't had a chance to bring it up. Plus she hadn't wanted to tip the boy off, because it was supposed to be a surprise, after all.

Fiddling with the delicate chain and lock around her throat she smiled at him. "You look so happy, both of you," Lila said. "Have you ever given any thought to wearing a collar?" She asked.

"I am happy." Mike smiled, and he knew Harvey was happy too - things between them were all going so well, Mike couldn't have doubts about that now. He did come up short though when she asked him about a collar.

He bit his lip and thought about it for a moment, eyes dropping to where she was fingering the chain around her neck. A constant physical representation of the commitment she had made to Troy, and the commitment he'd made to her in return. And she got to wear it constantly; it wasn't something that just came off.

Then he thought about it for himself, to wear a mark from Harvey, more than just the tender sweet bruises that Mike was often left with, but something that wouldn't fade after a few days' time but stay. "I hadn't really thought about it before," He told her slowly, lifting his eyes back to her face again. "I think it would be something I'd like though." Mike had long since passed the point where he could even entertain the idea that things between him and Harvey might not be permanent, but maybe he was moving too fast. He knew the walls Harvey had built up, and knew how hard it was to bring them down.

"I don't know if we're at that point yet." He told her, lifting his shoulders. He might be, no there was no question, he was at that point, but he wasn't sure if Harvey was there with him.

Lila grinned when he looked down at her collar with what seemed a lot like desire. That was almost all the answer she needed, he said it all in his eyes and she just knew everything would be alright.

"Would you want it to be a big public thing like a wedding? With speeches and flowers and stuff? Or do you think you'd just like it to be you two? Private?" Lila asked, remembering when Troy had surprised her at a dinner just like this with her own collar. It had been perfect and since he'd locked it into place and put the key around his own neck, she'd never taken it off.

It was a personal thing; some people just wore them to make a statement, while other considered a collaring ceremony an alternative to a wedding and went all out. She couldn't blame Harvey for wanting to have some idea of what Mike might want before trying to plan it.

Mike laughed a little and shook his head when she asked him what he might like if Harvey ever did offer him a collar. "No, nothing big." He couldn't imagine that, he could see others liking something big and fancy and making a real event out of what would be a very special occasion but that wasn't for him.

"I think if we ever get to that point, I'd want it to be just the two of us, you know?" He asked her. "I just - I think there would be a lot between us doing something like that, that I wouldn't necessarily want to share with anyone but Harvey. Does that make sense?" He asked her, he knew people got married in public, they shared that day with friends and family and all of the people that were important to them, but to Mike a collar was more than a wedding. And everything he could imagine going along with it wasn't exactly something he would necessarily want anyone else to see.

"Who knows though," he shrugged. "Maybe when that time actually comes I'll have changed my mind or something." He didn't know how long it would take to get them there, but some part of him doubted his preference for privacy would be likely to change.

Everything Mike said was pretty much what she'd assumed he'd want and what Harvey had guess too, which was nice to know that they both knew Mike so well. Honestly she didn't think that she'd even needed to ask, Mike would love it as long as it was from Harvey, when or where wasn't going to have anything to do with it.

But even Doms could be insecure sometimes. "I understand, completely," Lila said, smiling easily at him.

Harvey had watched the pair vanish into the kitchen and he got caught up talking to Elle for a few minutes and when he looked around the room they were still missing. Excusing himself from the conversation he knocked lightly on the door frame before stepping through the door.

"Hey you two," he said with a smile, tilting his head as quickly worried if anything was wrong. But Lila caught his eyes, grinning and he knew there was nothing to worry about. "Can I have a minute with the man of the evening?" Harvey asked Lila.

Nodding quickly she slid off the counter, kissing Mike's cheek before she headed back out to join the party and find Troy. She knew that no matter what happened Mike and Harvey were going to be happy and that was all she wanted for them.

Mike watched Lila go for just a moment before his attention slid easily and completely to Harvey. He smiled, more than happy to be there with him now. And seeing Harvey there, asking to spend a little time with him Mike knew it didn't really matter how long it took for a collar to be something that was more than just a thought in his head - he had Harvey and that was all he needed.

"Lila made me this." He told Harvey, drumming his fingers along the cover of the scrapbook where it lay on the counter. "It's actually pretty great, I've never had one before. She's even got a few good pictures of you in here."

Leaning up against the counter in the place Lila had just vacated Harvey flipped quickly through the pages, fond smile on his face. "All photos of me are good ones, you should know that." He said with a laugh, while Mike gave him a fond smile despite his complete lack of modesty.

"I caught up with your gran yesterday, she says hi," Harvey said raising his eyebrows at Mike as he slid his hands into his pockets. Just because he had her approval didn't make it seem like less of a daunting thing. Mike living with him could ruin them, but it could also make them stronger. It would make people finding out a much more likely possibility, but Harvey wasn't going to spend his whole life running scared because of what could possibly happen.

"You went and saw Grammy yesterday?" Mike asked, raising an eyebrow in return at Harvey. That was… unexpected, to say the least. He liked that Harvey and his grandmother got on so well, that Harvey spent time with them both, but that Harvey had gone to see her and not mentioned anything about it until today was a bit of a surprise.

He smiled though and shook his head, "You know if I didn't know any better I'd say you were up to something." He said slowly, watching Harvey's face, curious about the reason Harvey had gone to visit his gran, but considering Harvey had broached the subject to begin with Mike felt confident he'd find out sooner rather than later.

"Me? Up to something?" Harvey asked, placing his hand over his heart in mock pain. "She's going to give in to me one day and she and I will be very happy together, that's all," he said with a little smile.

Considering Mike for a second he glanced down at the floor in front of himself and moved his head just a little bit, much more effective than beckoning for him would ever be. "She and I had to talk some business."

Mike moved easily to the spot where Harvey had looked, not needing anything more than the visual cues he'd been given to know what Harvey wanted. His stomach clenched slightly while he waited for Harvey to actually tell him what he'd needed to see Grammy for, it had more to do with not knowing than any real worry or doubt though Mike was more than a little curious now.

"All good business I hope," he said with a small smile. "I'm not the only one in the family that's good with numbers you know."

He smiled happily when Mike moved, brushing his fingers gently down the side of his neck. "She's a smart woman and seeing as the merger I'm hoping to work on is delicate I wanted her approval," Harvey said, giving a shrug like he was simply talking business.

Flipping to the blank page in the back of Mike's scrapbook and pulling a pen out of his jacket pocket he hid his writing from Mike as he scrawled _Live with me_ across the page. "This is my offer, although it's up for negotiation," Harvey said as he revealed the words to Mike.

Mike waited, though honestly a great big part of him wanted to just lean around and see what Harvey was writing, he might have learned self-control, but there were times that curiosity got the better of him, even now. But he waited, until Harvey let him see what he'd written.

He understood the words, both those on the page and the ones Harvey spoke, but it took Mike a moment to really process what they meant. "Really?" He asked, biting his lower lip while he looked at Harvey. "You - you asked her about this? About asking me to move in with you? You really did that?" The pieces all slotting into place, where Mike had thought Harvey had just kept on teasing him about his visit with Grammy he had actually wanted her approval for a planned merger. "You want me to move in with you?"

"Really," Harvey confirmed, underlining what he'd written to punctuate it. "I'm old fashioned," he said with a shrug. "Where I come from that's just what you do," he said with a shrug. "She thinks it's a great idea, by the way."

Harvey wound his finger in the back of Mike's short hair, tugging gently. "What do you say?" He asked, encouraging the boy in closer. "And this is one of those rare moments where saying no is allowed," he said gently, knowing he needed Mike to make the right choice for him, not just to make him happy.

The idea that Harvey had actually talked to his grandmother about this, he'd asked her permission or for her approval or whatever it was that he'd said to her was just about one of the best thoughts Mike had ever had in his life. That Harvey would take the time to talk to her about this before bringing it to Mike; it said a lot about the sort of man Harvey was. And Mike loved him a little more for it.

Mike hummed happily at the tug of his hair and moved closer until he was pressed against Harvey's chest. Though he frowned when Harvey told him he was allowed to say no, Mike shook his head. "No - wait, yes that wasn't what I meant, not about that. Just that I didn't want to say no, I mean just - Yes. Yes I want to move in with you. Yes." Mike said in a rush, all of it getting jumbled in his mind and coming out a mess that he hoped made sense in the end.

That stupid rambled yes made him laugh and he rolled his eyes. "Have I told you recently you talk way too much?" Harvey asked, tugging a little bit harder at his hair. "Good, then we'll work it out, boy."

"You might have mentioned it once or twice." Mike grinned happily, he had a feeling Harvey didn't mind all the talking as much as he pretended to.

Pulling Mike in for a kiss he let it be as hard and deep as he felt like the moment deserved. He'd never thought he'd do something like this, that he'd want to, but Mike brought out just about everything in him he'd been avoiding for his entire life. "I'm going to need you to sign," he paused, drawing a dotted line on the page of the scrapbook. "Right on the dotted line, Mr Ross."

Mike was still reeling just a little from the kiss, leaning heavily into Harvey a silly smile on his face - and he couldn't help laughing when Harvey told him he needed to sign. "Need it in writing?" He teased with a grin, and took the pen from Harvey and signed his name and dated it for good measure, might as well preserve the date. That's what scrapbooks were for after all. "There you go, Mr. Specter."

The night wasn't even over and all ready Mike was quite sure it was the best he'd ever had, this - moving in with Harvey really was just the icing on top of what was already a great year.

* * *

Moving Mike into his place was pretty easy, actually. Mainly because all of Mike's furniture just went into storage and his clothes hung up easily beside Harvey's. There were a few personal touches around, but Harvey's things were nicer and already there, so everything was pretty much the same. Although, there seemed to be a lot more cold pizza in the fridge than he was used to or approved of.

At least having a cleaner there every day while they were at work meant that someone was tidying up after Mike who wasn't him.

Things weren't really different, they'd practically been living together anyway, all that had happened was that they'd made it official and easier because Mike had all his things there now. But Harvey actually liked official, everything laid out and orderly, it worked for them. Plus it gave them more time together, less travel and waking up with his hands already possessive on Mike's body every morning was just what he wanted in his life.

He'd let Mike come along this evening because maybe he liked him a little bit and because he'd worked himself into the ground that week and Harvey was impressed. He'd worn one of his nicer tuxedos and he knew he looked good, but rubbing it in Louis' face while his date practically melted all over Harvey's shoes was just fun.

Having seen the person Mike was talking with excuse themselves and he stepped up behind him, voice quiet as he looked around the balcony. "Can we please go home and be naked within the hour?" Harvey asked with a chuckle.

Mike found he actually really liked events like this, oh there was still a part of him that felt like a kid playing dress up and someone was bound to find him out, but for the most part he enjoyed actually being treated like an adult and getting to see something that could very well be more a part of his future.

And of course Mike, along with what felt like everyone else in attendance, loved the sight of Harvey in a tux. He didn't think he could be blamed really.

He had lost Harvey in the course of the night though, talking with other guests and Harvey of course having things he needed to take care of, but he was just about to go off in search of Harvey when an all too familiar voice filled his head and he felt the warm presence of Harvey behind him. It took a great deal of self-control not to lean back into Harvey, but he managed it.

Though Mike couldn't keep from turning around to see him there. "Well I don't know, are you finished making everyone jealous that they're not leaving with you tonight?" He asked with a small smirk. "I wouldn't want to stand in your way." He couldn't help that deeply satisfied feeling that had settled in him at the idea that while so many other people there that night wanted to go home with Harvey it was him who would get to.

"You've got it all wrong, I'm making people jealous that they're not represented by Pearson Hardman," Harvey said with a grin, before glancing at his reflection in the window beside them. "We're selling an image, Mike and if that image is sexy, well, that's good for business."

Mike looked amazing, that had to be a new suit and it wasn't worth the struggle to try to pretend to have eyes for anyone else. "You wouldn't want to stand in my way?" Harvey asked, arching his eyebrows at Mike. "Since when?" He teased easily, making sure to keep an eye on who might be near enough to overhear them.

Only Harvey could make looking fucking fabulous in a tuxedo sound like part of his job, and well Mike could certainly appreciate the sort of work they did that required that of Harvey, even if his appreciation had nothing to do with business. He just gave Harvey a little knowing smile and nodded though.

"I wouldn't want to stand in your way of continuing to make people jealous." Mike clarified because he would most certainly stand in the way if it was anything more than that. He grinned though, because he knew it was and he liked the easy way they could tease one another like this. "It's easy to stand aside when you're the one asking to leave so we can get out of these admittedly awesome clothes." He informed Harvey.

It was moments like that he wanted to reach out, lay a comforting hand on his boy's neck, although he knew that Mike wasn't worried, not really. "You shouldn't gloat, just because you have something other people want," Harvey said.

"I'm going to say a few quick goodbyes and I'll meet you downstairs in five," he said, leaning in a tiny bit before regretfully turning away. After wishing a goodnight to a few clients and having a quick word with Jessica he was even more eager to get home.

But it wasn't too hard to get away and within the allotted five minutes he was sliding into his side of the back of the car. "They love me; it's a blessing and a curse."

Mike had excused himself from the event while Harvey was still making the rounds and couldn't help grinning when Harvey slid into the car beside him not long after he'd come down. "With great power comes great responsibility." Mike quoted sagely, so maybe he'd regret comparing Harvey to a superhero, even if only by association, it wasn't like Harvey's ego needed any help, but sometimes Mike just couldn't help it.

"You'd hate it if they didn't love you." He told him, shaking his head gently and grinning all the same. Harvey wouldn't have been Harvey if that wasn't the case, and Mike doubted that was going to change anytime soon.

"Everyone loves me," he said, reaching across to place his hand heavily on Mike's thigh.

"I'm Spiderman now, am I?" Harvey asked with a wide grin. "I always thought I was much more like Batman," he added while his fingers slowly played over the inseam of Mike's suit pants.

"See, I knew it was a mistake even before I said it." Mike said rolling his eyes at the grin Harvey gave at the suggestion that he might be Spiderman. "You can be either one of them, just know that I'm not going to be your Mary Jane or Robin." He told Harvey.

Harvey laughed, head dropping back as he pictured Mike, not for the first time, in drag. "Whatever you say, Boy Wonder," he said as he slid his arm around his boy's shoulders.

"So do I get to sit at the adult table more often now?" Mike wondered idly, fingers drumming idly against his knee.

It had been a hard road before Jessica had started letting him sit at the adults table, years at the DA's office, then getting his ass kicked as an associate. But in the end she'd introduced him to the other side of what they did, the part that involved being charming and likable, not just smart and cutthroat. "Yeah, kid. I think you do, now that you've got a suit like that," he said with a proud smile.

Mike couldn't help smiling though when Harvey agreed he'd get to sit at the adult table more, he really had worked hard and he was glad that Harvey saw it, and that it was apparently enough to justify letting him have that - he knew Harvey would never let him have this if his work hadn't earned it. "Yeah well, I thought the occasion warranted something a bit nicer." He said glancing down at his suit. "Still like the skinny ties though."

Leaning in he pressed his lips to the delicate skin below Mike's ear, gentle in the places he knew Mike wouldn't be able to hide a bruise. "Well you did very well," Harvey breathed softly against his skin, teeth gently nipping as he nuzzled his way lower on the boy's neck. Harvey slowly wrapped his hand in Mike's tie before using that hold to pull him in for a deep kiss. "Nope, I'll never agree with you and those damn ties," he said once the kiss had finally broken.

Mike went easily into the kiss, satisfaction settling deep inside him as Harvey pulled him close. Finally closing that distance they'd had to maintain throughout the evening, and putting Mike at ease the way nothing else could. He was truly well addicted to Harvey and having him close, so much so that nothing felt quite right when he had to keep his distance.

He stayed close even when Harvey broke the kiss, a slow grin spreading across his lips. "I don't know, Harvey." He said glancing down to where Harvey still held on to his tie. "I think you might like them just fine." He laughed softly and pressed his lips to the corner of Harvey's mouth, before moving lower, nosing along the sharp line of Harvey's jaw, leaving a trail of short open mouthed kisses as he went. "Even you have to admit they have their uses."

Harvey leaned back, pulling Mike with him. "No different from a leash, really," he said, raising his eyebrows as he tugged at the material again. "A normal sized tie would be just as effective." Harvey added, although he made no move to release the hold he had on his boy.

Pulling Mike's lips back to his he focused the remainder of the drive on making sure he kissed him breathless. When they pulled up at their building Ray parked and cleared his throat, making Harvey remember he should really give him a raise.

Finally releasing his hold on Mike he straightened him out a little bit before stepping out of the car and holding the door for the boy to follow.

Mike was completely unaware of just where they were until Harvey pulled away from him and apparently making an attempt at smoothing him out again before they had to get out of the car. One day perhaps he'd be able to keep his wits about him when Harvey got it into his head to kiss him like that, but Mike doubted it - and really he was more than happy to be kissed senseless whenever Harvey liked.

He followed Harvey inside and then up to his condo, moving on autopilot for the most part at least while his brain functions continued to come back online though he suspected it was all going to be for naught when they were in the privacy of their home again.

He still wasn't used to that, it being theirs and not just Harvey's. But all of his important things were there, he'd gotten out of his lease on his apartment and now there he was going home with Harvey.

"So you said something about naked earlier." Mike said biting his lower lip and grinning at Harvey when they were really alone again.

Harvey simply gave a little smile, walking through the apartment and knowing Mike would follow him. For years he'd watched the way Troy and Lila seemed to communicate without words and he'd been envious of that, but now he and Mike seemed to be developing their own version of the same thing.

A tux this nice needed to be put away, not discarded on the floor and undressing himself was probably the safer options.

"I've got plans for you, boy," he said over his shoulder as he entered their bedroom. "And yes, naked is absolutely part of that plan."

"I like plans," Mike said following Harvey, and most certainly not doing an impression of an overeager puppy. And while maybe he was more than a little bit excited about getting Harvey out of his tux and getting out of his own suit, Mike could almost hear Harvey's thoughts about taking care of his tux, even if he hadn't said anything out loud. Though considering the care he'd seen Harvey take with his every day suits he wasn't the least bit surprised now.

"What kind of plans do you have? I mean beyond the naked part of the plan, which is a good part of the plan, it's really necessary for any successful plan I think." Mike let himself babble while he took off his jacket and turned up his collar to start loosening his tie.

Harvey couldn't help make a face at the way Mike seemed to be doing his best impression of an awkward teenager. It was lucky Harvey found the boy's rambling endearing. "You should know better than to ask," he said as he hung up his jacket and trousers, placing his tie on the rack before he tossed his shirt into the laundry basket.

Pulling open one of his drawers he pulled out two candles, one blue and one purple. He wasn't the candlelight type and this wasn't going to be about that. "I think you'll like this," Harvey said, his eyes trailing over Mike's body slowly. "They're soy candles, so the melting point is lower, the wax doesn't get quite so hot," he explained as he set them down on the bedside table. "It'll still be hot, but..." He faded off, raising his eyebrows at his boy.

Mike actually hung up his jacket and pants too, though he was less concerned with what happened to his shirt and tie, more interested in the getting naked part of the plan than the state of his clothes the following morning.

Balancing on one foot while he pulled off his sock, Mike raised an eyebrow when Harvey showed him the candles, he frowned not completely understanding at first, not until he had both feet on the floor and Harvey gave him that look, the one that explained exactly what Harvey meant even if he hadn't said it.

His eyes widened slowly with dawning realization, and his heartbeat picked up at just the thought of it. "Oh," He said slowly. "That's, yeah..." he trailed off nodding, tongue sliding over his lower lip, Harvey always did have the best plans.

The look on Mike's face said it all and he opened the closet to pull out a slightly older but still clean sheet to put down on their bed and keep the covers clean. He was practical like that, after all.

Lighting the two candles with a book of matches from the drawer he finally let his attention turn back to Mike. Stepping closer he pressed his lips to the back of his neck, chuckling softly. "Strip, I'm going to need it all off," he said as he nipped at a dark purple bruise that was already on Mike's shoulder.

"Because I'm nice, I'll let you decide if you want to be on your back or your stomach," he said softly into his ear. He'd been planning this for a little while and he wanted to drive Mike totally crazy before giving him what he'd been denying them both for so long.

Mike finished undressing quickly after that, they hadn't even done anything yet and already he felt like Harvey had been teasing him on and off throughout the night. Even after all this time had passed he'd never been able to been anything less than ridiculously responsive to even the slightest suggestion from Harvey. It was hardly fair.

"You're _so_ nice." Mike huffed a short breath of laughter, though it was said with just a little teasing in his tone it was the truth. Mike had long since broken past those barriers and walls Harvey kept up around his emotions and the idea that he might actually care. Mike was confident in that. He did turn to kiss Harvey though, lingering and slow before he went to lie down, deciding easily he wanted to be on his back - he wanted to see Harvey.

"I am," Harvey said simply as he returned Mike's kiss before watching the boy settle on the bed, eager and wanting and perfect, which was perfectly normal. Harvey followed after a moment, straddling Mike's thighs as he took a moment just to look at him.

His eyes were dark and his gaze was intense as he looked his fill. Reaching over he grabbed the blue candle seeing how the wax had already started to pool. Holding his hip firmly in one hand he looked up into Mike's eyes as he let a single drop drip down onto Mike's stomach.

Mike watched Harvey instead of the candle, he'd seen the flickering flame when Harvey picked it up and for a moment had been captured by it before Harvey's eyes caught his and tracking the candle and watching for that moment when Harvey would tip his wrist became less important.

So he wasn't expecting it when it finally did come, the sudden burst of heat against his skin before it slowly faded as the wax cooled and hardened against his skin. He couldn't help the shocked sound that spilled from his lips at the sensation, his breath getting caught in his throat for just a moment before he was breathing normally again, or as close to normally as he could with Harvey straddling him and holding a candle over his torso. "Jesus," He said exhaling in a rush before breathing in slowly. "That -" Mike pressed his lips together and shook his head, not sure he knew what to say. "Again?"

Harvey was totally hypnotized by watching Mike's face, hearing the little noises that he loved. Yes, it was good, like he knew it would be. Wax looked good on him, it seemed. Leaning down Harvey kissed his chest, teeth grazing over one of his nipples with a chuckle.

"Please," Harvey corrected, voice firm as he straightened up again. Tilting the candle a little bit he teased him with it, waiting until Mike said it right.

Mike's eyes closed just briefly when Harvey leaned down over him, making him arch with want. Though they opened just as quickly when Harvey was sitting up again, this time letting his eyes drift between Harvey's face and the candle watching the angle of it as Harvey slowly tipped it over, though not enough to let the wax fall.

"Harvey, please." Mike said slowly turning his gaze back to Harvey.

The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile and he tipped the candle, letting the blue splash over Mike' stomach a little more than a drop now, wrapping his hand around the boy's cock with his empty hand at the same time.

Creating a trail of blue drips up Mike's chest he moved his attention over the nipple he'd just had in his mouth, knowing that was going to hurt, at least a little bit.

The conflicting sensations Harvey created in him made it impossible for Mike to decide how he felt about this, though if the way his hips arched up into Harvey's hand, driving his cock into the ring of Harvey's fingers was anything to go on Mike would say that he wholeheartedly approved of the course of their evening activities.

Mouth open in what had started as a silent gasp and turned into a low groan as that trail of wax settled over his nipple. The pleasure of pain was something Mike had learned to appreciate almost from the start, the sharp sting of Harvey's teeth against his skin, the bruises left after Harvey had gripped him tight, the slap of Harvey's hand against his ass - and yet this was different than anything else, that sharp blossom of heat that shifted into something easier to deal with, melting into a deep thrum of pleasure that Mike swore he could feel pulsing through his veins. It was maddening with the way it constantly changed.

It was the perfect response, arousal and submission and it was a giant turn on, but more than that, Mike satisfied him in a way no one else had ever come close to before. Mike's face betrayed everything and Harvey was really going to have to put more time aside to experiment with new things.

Placing the candle back on the table he slowly ran his fingers over one of the dry spots of blue, his hand stilling on Mike's cock. Leaning down he braced himself on his elbow beside Mike's head, kissing him, dirty, open mouthed and hot. "I'm going to fuck you tonight," Harvey admitted, because while he was good at keeping secrets, there was nothing better than taking someone by surprise.

Mike whined, not quite desperate he told himself though who knew if that was true, when Harvey set the candle down and stilled his hand, missing both already before Harvey distracted him completely. Mike really thought he would never get tired of the way Harvey kissed him, especially like this when all Mike could do was let himself open to whatever Harvey wanted to take from him.

Harvey's confession was like a punch to the gut, want and desire suddenly spiking inside of him. Mike couldn't help the way his cock twitched with interest and he moaned at just the words themselves. "Fuck, Harvey." Some small part of his brain said it was redundant but Mike couldn't help it, his brain really was going to fail on him if Harvey kept it up.

He'd spent so long training and holding back and teaching Mike, it was almost like he'd forgotten to let himself have this, that having Mike in every way possible was his right. "Yeah," he agreed with a little chuckle.

But he had an order he wanted to do this in and he straightened up to grasp the purple candle which had a pool of melted wax just waiting. Abandoning Mike's cock in favor for tilting his boy's head back he splashed a long line of wax right from the hollow between his collarbones right down to his stomach. "Do you like that?" Harvey asked, his voice rough and his cock already aching from watching the picture Mike made in front of him.

The reintroduction of the wax was a shock and Mike arched as it splashed against his skin in a long hot line reducing his focus down to that strip of skin hot and sensitive. He gripped at the sheets panting and nodded, quick and sharp at Harvey's voice filling his head.

"Yes, Sir, fuck - yes, yes." Mike babbled, caught up in the act, of being there with Harvey, knowing what was coming, and at the same time stuck right in the moment as the wax cooled on his chest, suffusing him with a bone deep sort of warmth from the inside out, like the wax had gotten beneath his skin somehow.

Harvey loved the sounds Mike made when he got excited, when he started to lose control, giving it all over to him. "Good boy," he whispered, slowly surrounding his bellybutton with the hot wax. "My good, boy."

Putting down the second candle he leaned down to blow on the wet wax until it was dry. Then he was able to slowly pick it off, every drip, every tiny piece, Mike's skin pink where he pulled the substance away. Collecting all the shards of dried wax he tossed them into the can beside the bed, leaning down to kiss all the reddened skin, eyes on Mike's. This was important, that he'd use the wax on Mike but he'd always make it better after, be there when it was finished and care for him from start to finish.

Mike had failed to take into consideration the way it would feel when Harvey started to peel the wax away from his skin when he'd first laid eyes on the candles. Even that first drop of wax on his skin hadn't gotten his mind to that point, but laying there feeling even more sensitive than he had only moments before with wax hardening against his skin, and Harvey's lips tracing over reddened lines and dots over his skin Mike could hardly believe this part had been left out of his calculations.

He couldn't help the way his fingers curled first against Harvey's shoulder and then up to his neck and pushing into his hair, clinging without pulling or forcing, just needing the anchor of Harvey against his skin. "Please, Harvey." Mike breathed, quiet and maybe a little desperate this time, as he held Harvey's gaze.

"I am so happy with where you are now, with all of this," Harvey admitted, kissing slowly around Mike's bellybutton and then up his chest. But he didn't settle his weight on him like he usually might, but moved instead to one side so he could sit up against the head of the bed.

"C'mere," he said gently, already working his underwear down his legs so that Mike could settle in his lap without anything between them. "When you're good, you get what you want, Mike. When you're really, really good, I get what I want, too. Because you really are a reflection of me, your behavior shows what kind of Dom I am and I'm proud of you, boy."

Settling into Harvey's lap, against him was perfect. It always had been, ever since that first time, and that night was no different. It was like being there in Harvey's lap was all he needed, the rest - the rest was just a bonus, the best bonus in the entire world, but still.

He was already blissed out and comfortable leaning into Harvey, doing his best to keep from rocking against him, though the desire was there. All that skin and Harvey's cock hard against Mike's, only months of training had made Mike capable of holding himself back. He hummed softly, kissing the corner of Harvey's mouth, brushing his lips against Harvey's briefly. "I want you to get what you want." He told him, "I want to be good for you, really really good, Harvey."

Harvey stroked his hand over Mike's cheek affectionately when he kissed him, not wanting to stop touching him. "I know you do and you already are, Mike. You are so, so good for me," he whispered, his voice rough in total contrast to his gentle hands.

Reaching over he grabbed a tube of lube from the draw beside his bed, handing it to Mike. "You're going to straddle me and stretch yourself for me, boy, so I can watch," he said, keeping Mike's eyes on his with an intense gaze. "Have you ever done that before?" Harvey asked, stroking his hands soothingly up and down Mike's lean sides. As much as he wanted this, he wasn't just going to hand it to Mike; he still had to earn it.

"Jesus, Harvey." Mike couldn't help the tightening clench of his stomach when Harvey told him what he wanted, fingers wrapped tight around the tube Harvey had pressed into his hand. Mike let his forehead drop to Harvey's shoulder for a moment just to regain a small bit of that control he was desperately losing.

He nodded and then shook his head not really sure what the correct answer was, "Not like this." He said in answer to Harvey's question. Not with someone else watching, not knowing it was what his partner wanted, in the past it perhaps it had been a single finger, experimenting trying to figure out just what it was that he liked. This was completely different.

He wanted this though, wanted this because Harvey wanted it, and Mike was more than up to the task of earning it. He lifted his face, after pressing kisses against Harvey's neck and throat. "Okay," He said more for himself than for Harvey as he sat up on his knees, taking his weight off Harvey, as he snapped the top off the tube.

Mike started with a single finger, pressing in slowly, taking his time about it, working his finger in carefully, and bracing himself with an arm around Harvey's shoulders.

Harvey's hands were firm and sure as he stroked up Mike's legs, over his back, soothing him, wanting him to know there was no rush, they'd waited a year, they could wait longer. "You look good like this," he said quietly, not a trace of shyness as he looked openly at what was his. "Desperate and beautiful," Harvey said, leaning forward to kiss his shoulder and down over his bicep.

He'd thought about this, of course. Mainly before he'd even got to have Mike as his, when they first met and it had all been about lust and fantasies about fucking, before it had really started to unfold. But he'd still considered it since, how good it would feel and how it would feel to be so close without all the walls that Harvey usually kept up between himself and other people.

"That's so good," Harvey whispered, strong fingers wrapping around Mike's wrist and helping press the boy's finger a little deeper into his ass. "How's that?" He asked, nipping sharply at his boy's shoulder to shift the attention back to him.

"Oh, oh, oh," Mike gasped as Harvey's fingers wrapped around his wrist, it was impossible to think, to do anything but what Harvey wanted him to, not when he was like this. So much of him didn't want to wait, it had been so long and now there they were right on the edge once again and Harvey wanted to draw this out, like he hadn't been doing that from the start.

But it felt so good at the same time, going slow, Harvey helping him, the press and curl of his finger inside of him. "Yeah," The word low and drawn out while Mike slowly found a rhythm, rocking back onto his finger just slightly, getting easier each time until he was ready for another.

Mike couldn't imagine doing this for anyone else, being so completely open with himself, and the things he wanted, it was clear just to look at him what this was leading up to, the slick slide of his finger. He'd have only ever done this for Harvey.

"You look-" Harvey cut himself off, shaking his head as his eyes moved between Mike's hand and his eyes, unable to settle on one image when everything looked so good. "Perfect," he settled on, licking his suddenly dry lips, which was kind of useless because his whole mouth felt dry now.

"That's not an answer," Harvey teased, shaking his head as he slowly pulled Mike's fingers free. "Now two, come on, you can take it," he encouraged, gripping Mike's hip in his other hand to keep him steady.

The trust and the openness still surprised him, that someone who'd been as closed and scared as Mike could now trust him completely and be at this point now that he let Harvey see him torn open and bare was still breathtaking.

"It's good, Harvey." Mike exhaled the words in a rush, trying to give Harvey the answer he'd asked for. "Very good, good. Fuck." He nodded, biting his lip, ready for the second when Harvey told him.

He leaned into the hand on his hip, taking a slow deep breath. It was all too much, and Mike didn't want to be right on the edge when he finally got there. Though he didn't know how he would manage it, not as he pressed a second finger inside. "Harvey, god." He worked his second finger faster than he had with the first, made easier with each slick slide.

Harvey felt like he needed to pant to get enough oxygen because of the sight Mike was making in front of him. "I've got you," he said quietly, tightening his grip on the boy's hip. His entire body was tense with restraint and he didn't want to have to wait much longer.

Pulling on Mike's wrist he got his fingers free before taking the time to slick his own fingers. "My turn," he said, his voice practically a growl as he started to work three fingers into the most willing body he'd ever come across. This was the only way he could be sure when Mike was ready and that his eagerness didn't lead to something his body might not be ready for yet.

And Mike trusted Harvey to have him, just like he always did because Harvey was always there when Mike needed him, he'd proved it any number of times over and Mike didn't doubt him now. The hand on his hip and the fingers around his wrist were proof enough of that.

Earlier perhaps, or any other night, Mike would have had words, some words spilling from his mouth - whether or not they made sense, it didn't matter. He babbled when he let himself get worked up like this, but when Harvey's fingers slid into him, opening him up and filling him just right Mike couldn't think of a single one. Like his entire ability to speak had been lost to him.

Mike pressed his face against the side of Harvey's neck, breath hot and sticky against the beating of his pulse there, while noises but not words were muffled against Harvey's throat, and Mike let his body do the begging he couldn't seem to find the words for.

It was hard to really think of anything that wasn't just _hot, tight, want, mine, yes_ and he felt like it was good they were taking their time with this so Harvey had time to remember not to lose control, as tempting as it was. Instead he just had to focus on Mike, open, vulnerable and so trusting.

Harvey loved the little noises Mike made and he focused on them as he twisted and curled his fingers, feeling the slide start to become easier. Every little twitch, sound, movement, it all added up to the same thing, how much Mike wanted and Harvey could relate to that right now.

Slipping his fingers free he kissed the top of his head as he reached into the draw again. "Come on," he encouraged, shrugging his shoulder so Mike would sit up again. "Put this on me," Harvey said quietly as pressed a condom into the palm of Mike's hand. It crossed his mind he probably didn't need it, but it was habit after being careful for a very long time.

Mike's fingers curled around the square Harvey pressed into his palm, lifting his head slowly as he tried to pull himself back from that edge where it felt like he'd been waiting for so long. He wanted this to be good, not frantic, wanted it to last longer than what the desperation coursing through his veins would have preferred, he needed to get a hold on himself.

He sat back, over Harvey's thighs before he tore open the foil and started to roll the condom down over Harvey's cock with fingers that felt far calmer than Mike did. He stroked Harvey's cock slowly moving closer again, one hand between them when he pressed his lips to Harvey's.

"I've never - never wanted anyone the way I want you." He said slowly, using the time it took to find the words to get a reign on the racing of his heart. "And not just like this," Though god did he want Harvey like this, his body practically sang for it he wanted it so much, "but every way you'll let me have you. I'm yours, Harvey." The words were quiet, breathed into Harvey's mouth Mike was so close, but he couldn't move away, couldn't let himself put any distance between them.

Giving Mike a task was a good way to get him back in the room and it seemed to work well. Plus it was nice to watch and the touch made Harvey huff out a gruff little noise. His body was tense but the kiss was leisurely and thorough, he wasn't suddenly in a hurry just because they were ready to go.

Being the focus of all of Mike's attention had always been a very intense feeling, he'd never met someone with eyes that were so expressive and they told Harvey all of that long before Mike found the right words. "This is going to be the last first time you ever have with someone, don't you ever forget it" he replied, taking his cock in hand to line them up, which was easy seeing as they already fit together so perfectly.

"I won't." Mike shook his head, there was no way he could forget this, even without his enhanced memory. This moment, that they'd both been waiting for wasn't something that was just going to slip from his mind one day, it was too much a part of this thing with Harvey and Mike was never going to forget any of that.

Holding Mike's hip tightly in his hand, he had the boy's name on hip lips as he worked the head of his cock inside him. But he wasn't content to stop with just that and in the end it would be easier if he just went through with it. So he rocked his hips, pulled Mike down and pushed up until there was nowhere else to go.

When Harvey finally pressed into him, thick and hard and hot and oh god so good, Mike thought there might not be anything better than that moment where Harvey finally owned every part of him.

Settled there in Harvey's lap, Mike gave his hips an experimental roll, shuddering at the sensation that coursed through his body. "God Harvey," Mike wound his arms around Harvey, keeping himself close, keeping Harvey close - needing as much contact, skin to skin, as he could get, as much as Harvey would allow him.

Tension was coiled so tightly under his skin he felt like he was going to snap, because Mike just felt so good, perfect. The world did that thing again, where it shrunk down to include just the two of them and nothing out of reach even existed anymore.

There wasn't much leverage in this position, but it was okay because Mike was rolling his hips and making Harvey desperate as he groaned softly. His hand was shaking and he placed it on Mike's lower back, pressing him in as close as he seemed to be begging for.

"I knew hiring you was a good idea," Harvey said with a stressed little chuckle. Pushing up he rocked into Mike and groaned, chuckling again. "Fuck, Mike. Your ass is a revelation."

"Don't. Fuck, just don't." Mike said with a burst of surprised laughter when Harvey spoke. "Don't start talking about work now, Harvey. I will never forgive you." He said pressing his lips against Harvey's to stop him from saying anything more for the moment.

He rocked against Harvey, using what little leverage he had to rise up and then rock back down against him. "You can say _that_ again, if you want." He laughed against Harvey's cheek, feeling better than he could remember.

It was slower than he thought it would be, all the times he'd imagined it, even earlier that same night when Mike had been desperate for it - but this was better than that could have been, moving together with Harvey, feeling every inch of him as Mike settled down onto Harvey's cock.

Harvey laughed into Mike's mouth, glad to break a little of the tension so that he didn't feel so close to just losing it already. He'd been about to tell Mike how much a good brief turned him on but decided against it as he melted into the kiss.

It was slow work, just moving together, taking their time and enjoying it. Harvey had never experienced such a perfect first time with someone. Usually it took time to get into a rhythm but he and Mike were already perfectly in tune and joined in a way that was bigger than this.

Reaching between them Harvey wrapped his hand around Mike's cock, teasing the head softly with his thumb. He felt impossibly tight and Harvey jerked up into him a little bit harder, trying to angle his hips to make it as good for him as possible. "Feeling you tight as a virgin does wonders for the green eyed monster," Harvey admitted, voice a little bit shaky.

Mike's body tensed when Harvey's fingers wrapped around his cock, hips rocking up into the touch. "Stop, you're not jealous." Mike said slowly, arm around Harvey's neck, sharing air between them while Mike stayed close. "Like you could ever think there was anyone, fuck - anyone but you." He shook his head and smiled against Harvey's lips.

"Only you, Harvey." Mike promised, there was only Harvey and no one else that Mike wanted. He curled his fingers Harvey's hair, pulling him into another kiss, nipping at his lip. "Just this Harvey, this is it." It was good, achingly sweet in just how perfect it was, and Mike decided it was worth all the months it had taken to get them here, every single one of them.

Harvey wasn't a guy that got emotional during sex, or over sex, or because of a man, he just wasn't and the way he whimpered into Mike's mouth had everything to do with being wrapped up in the tightest ass he'd ever had and absolutely nothing to do with feeling totally wanted and loved for the first time in his life. Because that was the sort of shit that made him roll his eyes, not cling to Mike tighter, well maybe just this once, not that he'd ever admit it.

Kissing was easier than talking and he was pretty happy to swap dirty open mouthed kisses with Mike, sucking lightly on his tongue as he pushed hard and deep, feet flat on the mattress to give him more leverage. Because who needed to say that Mike was his when he was showing him with every roll of his hips and stroke of his thumb over the head of his cock.

Mike didn't need Harvey to talk, he did it enough for the both of them the rest of the time and he was more than content to do that again here. He didn't need the words, he could feel it in the way Harvey touched him, each rock of Harvey's hips driving him deep again and again. That was all Mike needed.

That desperation was rushing back on Mike again, with each swipe of Harvey's thumb over the head of his cock, and each driving thrust of his hips, all of it pushing him right up to that edge again while he held tight to Harvey to keep him grounded.

"Harvey, Harvey _please_." He gasped against Harvey's lips. "I need - god Harvey, please." Mike begged, he was shaking against Harvey, all of it catching up with him suddenly, faster than he'd expected.

Now that they'd started fucking he knew they'd be doing a lot more of it, especially after what was almost a year between encounters, they had a lot to make up for. Plus if Mike was going to behave so perfectly, the perfect sub, trained to be everything Harvey wanted and needed, he was never going to be able to resist.

As much as they'd broken the tension with words and some gentle laughter, he'd known they were going to get back into it, thrusts going just from gently rocking together to something harsher and laced with need.

"Please what, Mike? Tell me what you need," he whispered, tightening his hand around Mike's cock and trying the best he could to time the movements of his fist with his thrusts into him. His nails dug into Mike's back as he let out a low groan, the boy feeling like he was getting tighter by the second.

Mike whined, caught in that place where everything was just a little too much and not enough all at the same time, it set him on edge and made every single thrust of Harvey's hips feel like it would be the last one, like that tiny scrap of self-control he still held onto was just going to be ripped from him.

"I need to come Harvey, please. I, I can't- fuck." The words were rough as they tumbled from Mike's mouth as he clung to Harvey. It was alright there bearing down on him, impossible to resist that need as it pressed in on him with each pass of Harvey's fist, driving Mike crazy with need. "Please, Harvey," Mike repeated it over and over again, the words getting lost into the next in their rush to get out, to be heard.

He wanted to wait, to be as good for Harvey as he could but it was all right there, just waiting to tip him over. He just wanted Harvey to come with him when he did.

"You are so good for me," Harvey whispered, speeding up his hand on Mike's cock, stroking hard and fast, giving him what he was begging for. "Come on, you can come, for me," he whispered, knowing just by the sound of Mike's voice that he was close. Harvey just wanted to let go himself, lose himself in his boy's body but he wasn't going to finish without getting Mike off first.

"Such a good boy, come on, I need you to come," he whispered against his lips. There was nothing gentle about the way he moved his hips now and while he was tempted to flip them and just take everything he needed, having Mike close and in his arms was just too good to lose.

Mike was powerless to do anything but give Harvey exactly what he wanted, and the hand around his cock along with those words was more than enough encouragement for Mike, already so close. He came, hard and shaking through his entire body with Harvey's name on his lips, as that orgasm was pulled out of him with each thrust of Harvey's hips.

He was never going to recover from this, Mike knew it somewhere deep in the back of his mind. It was over, life as he knew it. Everything that happened after this was going to be different.

Still trembling, each time Harvey moved sending a roll of sensation up Mike's spine, making him clench all the more tightly around him. And that need he'd had, suddenly shifting no longer to himself but to Harvey, he needed Harvey to come almost as desperately as he'd needed it himself. "Now you," He breathed against Harvey's lips, pulling him into another one of those deep open mouthed kisses. "I want you to come Harvey, I _need_ you to come inside me."

Having Mike come was always wonderful, regardless from what. Seeing the pleasure on his face and hearing every little noise, it was perfect. He knew that no one could satisfy Mike like he could, that no one ever had and there was a lot of pride that came with that. At being not only the best, but everything the boy could ever want.

Harvey shuddered, Mike was tighter than he had been and that need in his voice hadn't even changed, like now, having Harvey come, was more important than his own orgasm. "I'm not very good at denying you, pretty sure that makes me a shitty Dom," he whispered, pushing up into Mike again and letting his thrusts get a little more shallow, to get them as fast as he needed them.

There was a sticky mess of Mike's come between them and Harvey felt sweat dripping down his back but it was raw and perfect and everything he'd hoped it would be. Finally with a low groan he pushed into Mike one last time, teeth grazing his shoulder but not hard enough to do anything more than sting as he came.

It was perfect, better than coming himself was watching Harvey fall apart the way he did, the noises he made and the press of teeth at his shoulder, Mike was going to hold on to this moment just the way it was for the rest of his life. There would be more so many more times, but this one was special, it was the first and he wanted to keep it safe.

His heart was racing and his breath coming in quick pants as he finally let himself collapse against Harvey, pressed against his chest, sweat and come pressed between their bodies and Mike didn't care so long as he got to stay right where he was.

"I'm pretty sure," Mike said sighing slowly, feeling loose and content as he rested against Harvey, "that you're actually the best Dom." He told him, contradicting Harvey's earlier suggestion with a smirk and a press of Mike's lips to his shoulder.

Harvey wasn't letting Mike out of his arms for at least a day. Unless he started doing that annoying thing where he opened his mouth and words came out, then he'd be banished. Chuckling, he stroked Mike's back softly; content to enjoy the afterglow for a minute.

He deserved an award for putting a sheet down, a medal and a lifetime supply of blowjobs at least.

"Yeah, well, pretty sure your opinion might actually be the only one that matters in that regard," Harvey admitted, making a face as he shifted his hips and slid out of Mike. Dealing with the condom he was then able to just pull Mike into him, body feeling pretty insistent on staying right where it was for now at least.

"You're damn right mine is the only one that matters." Mike agreed with a breath of laughter, the sound fading into a mewl of protest when Harvey slipped out of him, already missing the loss. Though with Harvey's arms wrapped around him Mike thought perhaps he could forgive that.

"But you know, I meant it, right? Hiring you was probably one of my better ideas. If I'd known fucking an employee could be so satisfying I definitely would have started earlier," Harvey said, fingers digging playfully into Mike's side.

Mike snorted as soon as Harvey started talking about work again. "Oh my god I hate you, and you're never getting near me again." Mike said laughing and squirming in Harvey's lap when he teased him. "I'm pretty sure there was a rule about talking about work, one that you're breaking right now." He informed Harvey shaking his head and catching one of Harvey's wrists in his hand.

He leaned in and kissed Harvey, slow and sweet. "Just tell me you love me, and I'll forget about the rule breaking this time." He nipped gently at Harvey's lower lip before he pulled back again.

Harvey laughed, tired but happy and maybe desperately in need of a shower. But everything could wait until lying here stopped feeling so damn good. "Rules were made to be broken, rookie."

Rolling his eyes he pinched Mike's side with his free hand. "I lo-" but he cut himself off by kissing Mike again and the rest of the words were lost in his mouth.

He was pretty sure it still counted.

* * *

Jewelers, Harvey had decided, must be used to strange requests. Men ordering diamonds for their wives and four girlfriends at the same time, nervous young men having meltdowns over engagement rings, eager women also having meltdowns over a lack of engagement rings. But lucky for Harvey they were also incredibly subtle, it was the name of the game and he was pretty sure a platinum collar wasn't the strangest request they'd ever had.

There had been so many options when it came to the design and Harvey had wanted something classy, but not obvious. Something that could be glimpsed by anyone but would only be identifiable as a collar to someone who knew what they were looking at. It was thin, no wider than a shoelace and unyielding except at the back where there was a strip of strong looking chain to allow Mike to get it on. But instead of a clasp there was a tiny metal tube that once the chain was slid through it could be pressed closed and it wouldn't open again unless damaged.

So all in all Harvey was kind of nervous about offering Mike a collar that he couldn't take off, even for the night if he wanted to. He'd made sure that his shirts would cover it and it really wasn't something that would stand out too much anyway. Well to anyone but him. But that didn't mean he'd want to be confined in it 24/7.

He'd had it for a week and every time he thought about giving it to him he put it off. Because it didn't feel right.

And then all of a sudden it was exactly a year since the first time Mike had knelt for him and really even he couldn't think of a good reason to put it off anymore.

"Do you want some more wine?" Harvey asked as he threw the containers from their dinner into the trash, stacking their plates into the dishwasher.

Life with Harvey was often times stressful, well no that wasn't life with Harvey, that was life with Harvey as his boss - and even in his second year as an associate at Pearson Hardman things didn't just suddenly get easier. Life with Harvey though was more than a little amazing.

Even on nights like this where they hadn't done anything special, it was just the two of them, spending time together the way they did, having dinner and talking and just being. It occasionally surprised Mike how something so simple could be so satisfying and yet there he was.

"Trying to get me liquored up?" Mike asked when Harvey asked about the wine, his tone teasing as he shook his head to let Harvey know he was fine. "I don't know if you've grasped this yet, but I'm kind of a sure bet." He gave Harvey a small smirk. "Kind of funny how that works."

Harvey laughed, smacking Mike gently on the ass. "If I'd known that I'd have stopped feeding you months ago," he said, giving the kitchen a last once over and giving himself another minute to delay his plans before he placed his hand on Mike's back to steer him through the apartment to his office. He'd been worried that anywhere else it might be stumbled upon; it was at least slightly more likely Mike wouldn't just search through his desk just for the hell of it.

He'd asked Lila to talk to Mike about it and she'd said he had nothing to worry about but that didn't suddenly make it easy. It was the most serious commitment Harvey considered there was and he'd understand if Mike wanted to wait longer, to be sure. But he was sure now and that meant now wasn't the time to do a terrible impression of a coward.

"I've got something to show you," he said, sliding into his chair and tapping the desk so Mike would take a seat on it, not that he ever had to be asked to lounge around on the furniture. Reaching into his desk drawer he pulled out a few empty files and a large, rather flat black box, setting them down on the desk.

Having hopped up onto the desk without further invitation Mike leaned back on one arm while Harvey poked around in his drawer. Mike raised an eyebrow at the box that was placed onto the desk a moment later, glancing first at the box and then to Harvey not entirely sure what to make of it.

"That," He said slowly, pointing an accusing finger at the box as he turned his gaze to Harvey, "does not look like a file." He had a real knack for stating the obvious, but as Harvey hadn't been particularly forthcoming about what he was showing Mike he didn't really know what else he should be thinking at that moment.

It wasn't the first time Harvey had taken his time getting around to an explanation, though it didn't necessarily make it easier either.

"You know, your eye for detail is one of the things that I like best about you," Harvey said, rolling his eyes as he placed his hand over the lid of the box and glanced up at Mike. "This is actually where I keep The Enterprise, when I'm not out exploring the universe."

Rubbing his thumb across the lid of the box he leaned back in his chair a little bit. "A year ago, we made a stupid decision that ended up probably being the best thing I've ever done with my extensive and clearly impressive life," Harvey said, placing his hand on Mike's knee.

"And this is for you, if you choose to accept it. If not, I'll put it away and you can ask for it in the future when you feel ready for it," Harvey explained, clearing his throat before he removed his hand to give Mike access to his present.

Mike couldn't decide where his eyes should be, he couldn't help the way he watched Harvey's hand on the box, and at the same time he couldn't seem to not look at Harvey's face either, not when he'd started speaking.

Some small tiny bit of hope started to flutter stupidly as he thought about where this might be going, though he didn't let himself get carried away no matter how easy that would have been with Harvey saying things like that.

Mike hesitated for a moment when Harvey's hand moved away, not sure if he should touch or not, but then he couldn't stop himself and he picked up the box setting it in his lap fingers smoothing over the top for a moment just briefly before he opened it. And then all chances of keeping himself from getting carried away went right out the window when he saw what was inside.

He had to touch then, fingers tracing the smooth curves of what was undoubtedly his collar. That conversation with Lila suddenly jumping into his mind - apparently not just a conversation meant to be hypothetical, she'd been gathering information. Or at least it looked that way now.

"You - you're sure about this?" Mike asked, because he knew what it meant, he knew the commitment this was and he didn't want to rush into it any more than Harvey did. And he didn't want Harvey to rush just for him.

Harvey touched the metal with his thumb, it was cold now but it would warm up when it was against Mike's skin every moment of the day and night. It would look good on him, he knew that from the moment he'd picked it up, it should, it had been made for him after all.

"I am," Harvey said after a tiny pause. "I don't ever want to get married, this is what I want and you're the person I want it with. The only person I'd ever want this with, Mike." He shrugged, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair. "But I also want to have some papers drawn up, so that if anything happened to me, all of this would be yours, it already is but we need a piece of paper to make sure no one could take it from you."

Clearing his throat he glanced back down at the collar, kind of wishing Mike looked a little more excited. "If it's too fast, I can wait, happily. I'm good at waiting," he said with a little grin.

All of it, everything Harvey said was just - it was everything Mike had wanted to hear, everything he was so sure Harvey wasn't ready for, and he'd been prepared to wait for it for as long as he needed to because he knew he belonged to Harvey already, and he knew that wasn't just going to change. But this made it all real, it was the physical representation of all of it.

"Wait?" Mike asked looking up at Harvey suddenly and shaking his head, clutching the box in one hand Mike slid off the desk and straddled Harvey's hips in the chair, making an attempt at being careful so they both didn't end up on the floor, and kissed him. "I don't want to wait, this isn't too fast - I thought you were working with Lila...." He said slowly raising an eyebrow at Harvey, wondering if perhaps he'd been wrong. "I told her I was ready for this."

He wrapped his arms around Mike, making sure he didn't drag them both down onto the floor. "I am working with Lila, but she said you said you might just change your mind about everything, not that helpful, kid," he said as he rolled his eyes.

"I've known this is it for a while now, Harvey." Mike said grinning big and wide and stupidly happy. "You're all I want and all I need." The rest was all details, so long as he had Harvey.

"I've known, too," Harvey admitted, leaning in to kiss him gently. "Pretty sure it was clear you were the only one I've ever needed since we met," he said with a chuckle. "Sometimes I forget how I did anything without you, at work and at home."

Mike sat back just enough to hold the box between them. "There's not like some sort of special protocol for doing this is there?" He wondered, he wanted to put it on, he wanted to feel the metal against his skin and around his throat and know that it was his.

Looking down at his he shook his head. "No, no protocol," Harvey said, lifting the necklace out of the box. It was light and he thought it was kind of beautiful. "Once it goes on, I clamp this shut with pliers and then it doesn't come off." He said, showing Mike the alternative to a clasp.

"Shit Harvey," Mike said when he understood that once the collar went on it wasn't coming off, not without the help of some tools that Mike was certain he didn't really want near his neck. God, if Harvey had known him any better it'd be like they were the same person.

"I'd like if you'd kneel for me though," he urged, gently squeezing Mike's hips with both hands.

He nodded eagerly when Harvey told him to kneel. Mike allowed himself another kiss before he was backing off Harvey's lap and onto his feet before he dropped down to his knees.

He thought about all the many times he'd done this before, when it had simply been because Harvey told him to, or others because he'd needed it, and others as a prelude to something more. But this time, this time was going to be different than any of the others, and out of all of the times he'd been on his knees this would be the one that would always stay at the forefront of his mind.

Mike got down eagerly in front of him and he stroked his cheek and then his hair, holding the collar carefully even though it wasn't at all fragile. "I want this," Harvey told him, looking down into his eyes. "And if I'd known I was going to love those big blue eyes as much as I do, I probably wouldn't have hired you and all of this would have been easier," he said with a laugh.

Placing the collar down gently on his desk he grasped the hem of Mike's shirt, slowly pulling it over his head. Getting the little pair of pliers out of the draw he held the collar in one hand and the tool in the other, giving him a gentle smile. "Are you ready?"

"You'd have never been happy with easier, you love the challenge." Mike reminded Harvey, grinning while Harvey laughed, completely confident in this and Harvey and everything they had together.

Every day Harvey realized that Mike knew him better than he'd ever intended, than he'd ever wanted anyone to know him and he was right. Easy was boring and Mike was anything but easy. He was smart and challenging and everything Harvey needed in someone to share his life with.

Mike licked his lips and nodded, his pulse felt like it was racing and he was sure he could hear his heartbeat in his ears, but Mike had never been more sure of anything than he was about this. "Yeah, yes, I'm ready." He nodded again, looking up at Harvey.

Harvey gently slid the collar around his neck, pushing his head down to rest on his knee so he could see the back of it. Getting the chain through the little clasp he made sure it was loose enough to be comfortable all the time before he used the pliers, clamping the tube with as much strength as he could. Every time he closed the pliers and pushed down it cemented their future even more and Harvey wasn't worried, not even a little bit.

Finishing the job he put the pliers down, fingers sliding Mike's hair and gently pulling his head back upright. "There," he whispered.

The one thing Mike had not been prepared for when it came time for the reality of a collar was just how calm he felt. He'd though perhaps there might have been room for nerves or just a small bit of doubt, but when his head rested on Harvey's knee and he felt the pliers closing off the only way to remove the collar Mike only felt a calm that had settled over him.

This was one decision he could stand behind completely, and when he looked up at Harvey again and felt the cool metal against his skin Mike knew this was what he had been waiting for, having the collar around his neck was the final piece that just made everything else slot into place the way it was meant to.

"That's good." Mike said nodding slowly just savoring that feeling of being owned.

Standing up Harvey took both of Mike's hands in his and pulled him up with him. Leading him into the bathroom he planted his boy in the center of the mirror, chin resting on his shoulder as he looked at their reflection.

The collar caught the light and Harvey had never really thought about how seeing it would make him feel. Reaching around he lay his fingers on the cool metal, meeting Mike's eyes in the reflection with one of those intense gazes they often shared.

"It's moments like these, I'm just so glad your name really isn't Rick Sorkin," Harvey said, face breaking into a grin. "Mike Ross is perfect. Perfect for me."

"You wouldn't love me if my name was Rick Sorkin?" Mike asked, though he was far more interested in the picture they made. Harvey behind him looking as good as he always did and him, with a collar around his neck, a collar that was going to remain there indefinitely. It didn't feel like something so small should make such a difference and yet looking at himself it was like everything had changed.

"Not ever a little bit, Rick," he said with a laugh.

He couldn't help grinning right along with Harvey though, turning just so he could see more than Harvey's reflection, momentarily struck but just how damn lucky he was, to have any of this, but most of all to have Harvey.

"You're kind of perfect too, you know." He told Harvey, closing his eyes and leaning into Harvey just briefly, far too happy for any one person and yet there he was.

Harvey wrapped his arms loosely around Mike's waist, pulling him in close. "Yeah, I know," he said with a grin. Harvey couldn't stop touching the collar, feeling the metal on Mike's skin and it was clear he was totally taken with it.

"So I suppose this means you'll be sticking around then?" Harvey asked, his hands dropping down to grab Mike's ass.

Mike was more than a little in love with the way Harvey touched him and the collar, something else he hadn't expected about the reality of this and yet made the whole experience better for it.

He laughed and nodded when Harvey grabbed him. "Yeah, I hate to break it to you, but you're stuck with me now." He informed him happily, before turning in Harvey's arms, lifting himself up onto the counter top, and pulling Harvey into the V of his legs. "You're going to have to start getting used to this." He teased, like they hadn't already been living together and Harvey wasn't entirely aware of what the collar would mean.

Stepping into Mike he ran his hands up and down his legs, little smile in place. Dropping his lips down he pressed a kiss over the collar and Mike's neck, kissing along the platinum band. "Getting used to spending the rest of my life shacked up with you? I think I'll manage."

Running his hands up the inside of Mike's thighs he sighed happily. "You know, I'm almost positive you're the best thing that ever happened to someone because of a briefcase full of pot."

"Trevor did say he was giving me a chance to change my life." Mike said with a small smile, ducking his face and shaking his head. It was hard to believe he'd been that guy a little over a year ago, so desperate that he was willing to get involved with drug trafficking. He felt unrecognizable from that person he'd been as he sat there with Harvey so close and the feeling of metal around his throat, marking him.

"I'm not sure this is what he had in mind, but to tell you the truth - I think I prefer this outcome over what he'd imagined." He smiled and butted his head against Harvey's gently, nosing in along the line of his jaw and working his way to Harvey's lips. "Love you."

Harvey was lucky to have this life, to have everything that Mike had given him and the way that he'd changed his life. They were always going to challenge each other and when he'd told Nancy that this was it for him; he'd been telling the truth. He'd never need anything more than Mike.

"Love you, too," he said quietly. Because everyone needed different things in a career and a partner and a life and sometimes because you were a raging narcissist, the person who complimented you the best, the person you'd always been looking for, was another you.


End file.
